plate no. 1634

Portrait of a woman

oilExpressionismportraitportraitwomanhatseaskyfigure

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in loose brushwork and capturing likeness with simplified forms. It also provides practice in mixing skin tones and creating a sense of depth with limited color variations.

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 figure, hat, and background.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, hat, clothing, sea, and sky.
step 03
Focus on the skin tones, mixing variations of light and shadow.
step 04
Add details to the hat, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 05
Define the features of the face, paying attention to proportions.
step 06
Refine the background, suggesting the sea and sky with horizontal strokes.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Review and adjust the overall composition and color balance.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. The sea is a mix of blue and white, with hints of green. The hat uses variations of burnt umber and black.

techniques

·broken color
·alla prima
·scumbling
·color mixing
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
→Getting the skin tones too muddy or uniform.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the background.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·oil paints: titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, ultramarine blue, cadmium red light
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife