plate no. 5074

Portrait of a Young Girl

Lajos Tihanyi, 1916

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfigureclothingwomanheadwear

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones and clothing, and creating form with visible brushstrokes. It also encourages expressive mark-making and capturing a likeness with simplified shapes.

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 and proportions of the figure on the canvas.
step 02
Block in the background with a muted gray-blue color.
step 03
Establish the main areas of color for the skin, clothing, and hair using broad strokes.
step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, paying attention to the angles and planes of the face.
step 05
Develop the form of the clothing, using darker tones to create shadows and lighter tones for highlights.
step 06
Add details to the hair and clothing, such as folds and textures.
step 07
Refine the edges of the figure and background, softening some and leaving others sharp.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to bring the painting to life.

color palette

primary · red · blue · gray · white

secondary · pink · black · yellow

Mix reds with white to create pinks for highlights. Use blue and black to create the dark tones in the clothing and background. Mix yellow with white and red for skin tones.

techniques

·blocking in
·color mixing
·visible brushstrokes
·scumbling
·dry brushing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
→Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
→Not paying attention to the values and creating a flat, uninteresting painting.