plate no. 5456

Portrait of a West African girl

Irma Stern, 1955

oilPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfigurewomanbraidsjewelryafrican

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color blocking and capturing likeness with expressive brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, neck, and shoulders, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color for the skin, background, and clothing using simplified shapes.
step 03
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth, and their relationship to each other.
step 04
Add details to the hair, including the braids and their arrangement around the head.
step 05
Introduce variations in color and value to create depth and dimension in the skin tones.
step 06
Develop the background with expressive brushstrokes and contrasting colors.
step 07
Add details to the clothing and jewelry, using brighter colors and bolder strokes.
step 08
Review the overall composition and make any necessary adjustments to balance the colors and values.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · yellow ochre · titanium white · orange

secondary · cerulean blue · cadmium red · sap green · gray

Mix skin tones by blending burnt umber, yellow ochre, and titanium white. Use orange and red to create warmth in the skin. Mix blue and white for the jewelry.

techniques