plate no. 7498

Portrait of a Young Girl

pastelRococoportraitportraitfiguregirlrococopastelhair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in blending pastels to create soft transitions and capturing subtle skin tones. It also provides practice in rendering delicate facial features and hair details.

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 head, shoulders, and hair.
step 02
Establish the background color with a light layer of pastel, blending it smoothly.
step 03
Block in the main areas of light and shadow on the face and neck using mid-tone pastels.
step 04
Begin layering and blending pastels to refine the skin tones, paying attention to subtle color variations.
step 05
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, using sharp pastel pencils for precision.
step 06
Develop the hair by layering different shades of blonde and brown, creating texture with short strokes.
step 07
Define the clothing with soft pastel strokes, capturing the folds and highlights.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the form and create a sense of depth.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · raw sienna · burnt sienna

secondary · ultramarine blue · rose madder · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by layering and blending white, yellow ochre, raw sienna, and a touch of rose madder. Mix blues and blacks for shadows, and add white to lighten.

techniques