plate no. 3413

Portrait of a Young Woman

Ivan Mrkviсka, 1912

oilImpressionismportraitportraitfigurewomanflowersdressfoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones and fabrics, and creating depth through layering and soft brushwork. It also provides practice in rendering delicate details like lace and flowers.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of burnt umber.
step 03
Block in the main color areas: skin, hair, dress, and background.
step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create smooth transitions in the skin tones.
step 05
Add details to the face, paying attention to the light and shadows.
step 06
Refine the dress, focusing on the folds and highlights.
step 07
Paint the flowers and foliage in the background, using loose brushstrokes.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw sienna · alizarin crimson

Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and a touch of burnt umber and blue. Achieve the dress color by mixing cadmium red with alizarin crimson and a touch of burnt umber. The background is a mix of burnt umber, raw sienna, and touches of other colors.

techniques

·blending
·layering
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the skin tones and losing the soft, luminous quality.
→Making the background too detailed and distracting from the figure.
→Failing to capture the subtle variations in color and value.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, raw sienna, alizarin crimson)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife
·rags