plate no. 1429

Portrait of a Young Girl

Irma Stern, 1939

oilPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfiguregirlhatjewelryclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness and conveying emotion through facial features.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the girl's head, shoulders, and hat.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of ochre and yellow.
step 03
Establish the main areas of shadow and light on the face using a dark brown mixed with a touch of red and blue.
step 04
Begin layering in the mid-tones and highlights on the face, gradually building up the form.
step 05
Paint the green shirt, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
step 06
Add the details of the hat, using a variety of colors and textures.
step 07
Paint the jewelry, using small, precise brushstrokes.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust the values to create a sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · viridian green

secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · raw sienna

Skin tones are achieved by mixing burnt umber, yellow ochre, and titanium white, with small amounts of red and blue for warmth and coolness. The green shirt is a mix of viridian green and yellow ochre.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color layering
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 16x20
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, titanium white, viridian green, cadmium red, ultramarine blue, raw sienna)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife
·rags