plate no. 9194

Portrait of a Woman with Black Hair

Bela Kadar, 1938

oilExpressionismportraitportraitwomanhairhandsbirdsbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including facial proportions and rendering skin tones, as well as creating subtle patterns in the background and clothing.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the outline of the woman's face, hair, and hands, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Sketch the bird pattern in the background, keeping it light and airy.
step 03
Mix a light skin tone using primary colors and white, and apply a thin wash to the face, neck, and hands.
step 04
Add shadows to the face and neck using a slightly darker skin tone mixture.
step 05
Paint the hair using a mix of brown and black, defining the curls and waves.
step 06
Apply a light wash of color to the clothing, creating a subtle pattern.
step 07
Paint the background birds using light washes of blue and beige.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to the face, hair, and clothing.

color palette

primary · raw sienna · burnt umber · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · titanium white

Mix skin tones by combining raw sienna, cadmium red light, and titanium white. Add a touch of burnt umber for shadows. Create the clothing and background washes by diluting the primary colors with water.

techniques