plate no. 3687

Portrait of a Young Girl

oilRealismportraitportraitfiguregirlheadscarfclothingjewelry

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering subtle skin tones. It also offers practice in depicting fabric and creating a sense of depth with limited color variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and headscarf.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of burnt umber and raw sienna.
step 03
Block in the main areas of light and shadow on the face, using a mix of white, ochre, and a touch of red.
step 04
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Paint the headscarf, using darker values to create folds and shadows.
step 06
Add details to the clothing, using short, broken brushstrokes to suggest texture.
step 07
Glaze the skin tones with thin washes of color to create depth and luminosity.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · raw sienna

secondary · cadmium red light · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, ochre, and a touch of red. Use burnt umber and black for shadows. Create variations in the headscarf by adding small amounts of red or blue to the black.

techniques