plate no. 7377

Portrait of a young girl

oil, canvasRealismportraitportraitfigurewomanprofilehairclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones. It also provides practice in creating soft, atmospheric backgrounds and depicting fabric folds.

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 background.
step 02
Establish the main light and shadow areas on the face and body using a thin wash of burnt umber or raw sienna.
step 03
Block in the background with broad strokes, focusing on the overall color and value.
step 04
Begin layering in skin tones, starting with the mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
step 05
Paint the hair, paying attention to the direction of the strands and the way light reflects off of them.
step 06
Add details to the clothing, such as the folds and patterns of the shawl.
step 07
Refine the facial features, focusing on capturing the likeness of the subject.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · ivory black

Mix skin tones by combining burnt umber, raw sienna, and titanium white. Use ultramarine blue and ivory black to create cool shadows in the background and on the face.

techniques