plate no. 1252
Portrait of a young lady
Albert Lynch, 1890
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in rendering skin tones and soft drapery. It also provides practice in capturing subtle light and shadow.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the figure's pose and proportions.
- step 02
Block in the background with a thin, neutral tone.
- step 03
Establish the main skin tones using a limited palette.
- step 04
Begin layering and blending the skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in value.
- step 05
Paint the headwear, focusing on the folds and highlights.
- step 06
Add the drapery, using soft brushstrokes to create a sense of movement.
- step 07
Paint the jewelry with careful attention to detail and highlights.
- step 08
Refine the details and add final touches to the face and clothing.
color palette
primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red · yellow ochre
secondary · ivory black · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna
Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use raw umber and blue to create shadows. The headwear is a mix of red and burnt sienna.
techniques
- ·blending
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·portraiture
- ·rendering
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Ignoring the subtle shifts in value and color in the skin.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·linseed oil
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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