plate no. 0694
Portrait of a woman with her child
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and creating soft, diffused lighting. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and skin tones with subtle variations.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of figures.
- step 02
Establish the background with a wash of dark, muted tones.
- step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figures, paying attention to the overall value structure.
- step 04
Begin to refine the skin tones, using thin layers of paint and subtle blending.
- step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, focusing on the folds and drapery.
- step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the eyes and mouth.
- step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.
color palette
primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · cadmium red light
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use raw umber and ivory black to create the dark background and shadows.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·soft blending
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Creating harsh lines or edges.
- →Failing to capture the subtle variations in skin tone.
- →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to improve the flow and blending of the paint.
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