Portrait of a Lady

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of raw umber, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre. Use ivory black and ultramarine blue to create the dark background and shadows in the clothing. Add small amounts of white to lighten the blues and blacks for highlights.

techniques

• ·portraiture
• ·blending
• ·value study
• ·glazing
• ·chiaroscuro

common pitfalls

• →Getting the proportions wrong, especially in the face.
• →Overworking the skin tones and creating a muddy effect.
• →Failing to create enough contrast between the light and dark areas.
• →Not paying enough attention to the details in the clothing and jewelry.