plate no. 1991

Portrait of a Woman

oilRomanticismportraitportraitwomanhairfaceclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in tonal shading, capturing likeness, and rendering hair texture. It also provides practice in creating subtle gradations of value to suggest form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the overall composition, paying attention to proportions and placement of features.
step 02
Establish the basic shapes of the head, hair, and shoulders.
step 03
Begin shading the background with light, even strokes.
step 04
Start building up the values on the face, using light layers to create subtle gradations.
step 05
Focus on capturing the highlights and shadows to define the form of the face.
step 06
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to their shape and placement.
step 07
Work on the hair, using a combination of short and long strokes to create texture and volume.
step 08
Refine the shading and details throughout the portrait, making adjustments as needed.

color palette

primary · sepia · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · raw umber · burnt umber

Mix sepia and ivory black for darker tones. Use titanium white to lighten the values and create highlights. Raw and burnt umber can be used for subtle variations in the hair and clothing.

techniques