plate no. 0804
Portrait of a Woman
Filippo Lippi, 1440
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations. It also provides practice in rendering delicate fabrics and textures.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 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 thin washes of color.
- step 03
Begin layering skin tones, paying close attention to subtle shifts in value and hue.
- step 04
Develop the details of the dress, focusing on the folds and textures.
- step 05
Paint the background, creating depth and atmosphere.
- step 06
Carefully render the veil, using delicate brushstrokes to suggest its transparency.
- step 07
Add the jewelry and other small details.
- step 08
Refine the overall painting, adjusting values and colors as needed.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white · viridian
secondary · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue · ivory black
Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, raw umber, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red light for warmth. Mix viridian and yellow ochre for the green dress. Use ultramarine blue and white for the sky.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·blending
- ·rendering
- ·chiaroscuro
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Making the veil too opaque.
- →Ignoring subtle value changes.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·linseed oil
- ·palette
- ·assorted brushes (small round, small flat)
- ·palette knife
- ·odorless mineral spirits
optional
- ·retouch varnish
- ·painting medium
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A smooth canvas surface will aid in achieving the soft blending.
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