plate no. 0905
Portrait Of A Woman
Boris Grigoriev, 1930
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating subtle variations in value to suggest form. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness and conveying a mood.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
- step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with a thin wash of color.
- step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, mixing colors carefully and blending smoothly.
- step 04
Define the features of the face, paying attention to the subtle variations in value and color.
- step 05
Paint the hair, using short, directional brushstrokes to suggest texture.
- step 06
Add the clothing, using darker values to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Refine the background, blending the colors and adding subtle details.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · titanium white · burnt umber · cadmium red · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, umber, and a touch of blue. Use yellow ochre to warm the tones. Mix blue and umber for the dark clothing, adding red for subtle variations.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·color mixing
- ·blending
- ·value study
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value.
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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