plate no. 3425

Portrait of a Girl with Flowers

Piet Mondrian, 1900

oil, canvasImpressionismportraitportraitgirlflowersdressred backgroundhair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating soft, impressionistic brushstrokes. It also provides practice in capturing subtle light and shadow variations on a face.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the girl's head, shoulders, and the placement of the flowers.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of red, varying the tone slightly to create depth.
step 03
Establish the basic skin tones using a mix of white, red, yellow, and a touch of blue, focusing on the light and shadow areas.
step 04
Paint the dress with a light blue-gray, adding subtle details to suggest the fabric's texture.
step 05
Add the flowers, using white and yellow, and suggesting the form with loose brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth, and capturing the girl's expression.
step 07
Develop the hair with loose strokes of red, brown, and gold, allowing some of the background to show through.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to the face, dress, and flowers to create depth and interest.

color palette

primary · titanium white · cadmium red · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

secondary · burnt umber · raw sienna · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, yellow, and a touch of blue. Use burnt umber and raw sienna to create shadows and depth. Mix white with a touch of blue for the dress.

techniques

·wet-on-wet blending
·broken color
·scumbling
·glazing
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details, which can result in a stiff and unnatural look.
→Using too much paint, which can make the painting look heavy and muddy.
→Failing to capture the subtle variations in skin tone, which can make the face look flat.
→Ignoring the importance of light and shadow, which can make the painting lack depth.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, cadmium red, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, burnt umber)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife