plate no. 6693

Portrait of a Young Girl in Red

oil, canvasImpressionismportraitportraitfiguredressbackgroundfabric

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle variations within a limited palette and practice applying visible brushstrokes to create texture and form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the figure's pose and proportions.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the background.
step 03
Begin layering the red tones of the dress, paying attention to variations in value and hue.
step 04
Add details to the face, using small, controlled brushstrokes.
step 05
Develop the texture of the dress and background with visible brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the details of the hands and any accessories.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the form.
step 08
Step back and adjust the overall composition and color balance.

color palette

primary · red · black · white

secondary · ochre · brown

Achieve the various red tones by mixing red with small amounts of black, white, ochre, and brown. Experiment with layering different shades of red to create depth and texture.

techniques