plate no. 8956

Portrait of a Woman

Emile Bernard, 1919

oilPost-Impressionismportraitfigureportraitwomanclothinginterior

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing skin tones and drapery folds. It also provides practice in creating a sense of depth and form through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the figure's proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, clothing, background, and couch.
step 03
Start refining the skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in value and hue.
step 04
Develop the drapery folds in the clothing, using darker values to create shadows.
step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Refine the background and couch, adding subtle variations in color and texture.
step 07
Add the blue object in the background.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to create a cohesive and balanced painting.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · cerulean blue · cadmium red

Mix skin tones by blending yellow ochre, raw umber, and titanium white, adjusting the proportions to achieve the desired shade. Use ivory black and raw umber to create the darks in the clothing and hair. Mix cerulean blue with white for the background object.

techniques

·blocking
·blending
·scumbling
·layering
·glazing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a flat or lifeless appearance.
→Failing to create a sense of depth in the drapery folds.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value in the background.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (ivory black, raw umber, yellow ochre, titanium white, cerulean blue, cadmium red)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits