plate no. 8267
Portrait of a young Lady
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering form with subtle value changes. It also provides practice in creating soft edges and expressive brushwork.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and shawl.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure by blocking in the background and major shadow areas with thin washes.
- step 03
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the angles and shapes of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 04
Develop the form of the face and shawl by layering subtle value changes and blending edges.
- step 05
Add details to the hair and flower, using small, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 06
Refine the edges of the shawl and background to create a sense of depth.
- step 07
Add highlights to the face and shawl to create a sense of luminosity.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to achieve a harmonious and unified composition.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white · burnt sienna
secondary · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre
Mix various shades of brown and gray by combining raw umber, ivory black, and titanium white. Use small amounts of cadmium red and ultramarine blue to create subtle color variations in the shadows and highlights.
techniques
- ·portrait drawing
- ·value studies
- ·layering
- ·blending
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of form.
- →Creating harsh edges that detract from the softness of the portrait.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Using colors that are too saturated or unnatural.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
- ·Oil paints (ivory black, raw umber, titanium white, burnt sienna, cadmium red light, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre)
- ·Palette
- ·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·Odorless mineral spirits
- ·Linseed oil
- ·Palette knife
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·varnish
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Experiment with different brush sizes and shapes to achieve a variety of textures.
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