plate no. 9807

Portrait of a mother with her daughter

gouache, paperRomanticismportraitfiguresportraitsdressesmotherdaughter

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in subtle color mixing and blending to achieve realistic skin tones and clothing folds.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figures and their clothing.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin, even wash.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin tones, hair, and dresses.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create depth and form in the faces.
step 05
Add details to the clothing, such as the lace collars and cuffs, and the folds in the fabric.
step 06
Refine the hair with delicate brushstrokes, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 07
Add the final details, such as the eyes, lips, and any jewelry.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to create a cohesive and realistic portrait.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · cadmium red light · cerulean blue

Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use ultramarine blue and ivory black to create the dark blue of the mother's dress, adding white for highlights. Achieve the off-white of the daughter's dress by mixing white with a small amount of yellow ochre and burnt umber.

techniques