plate no. 6806

Portrait of a Young Woman

Luke Fildes, 1900

oilAcademicismportraitportraitwomanheadscarfclothingfacefigure

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, blended transitions and depicting fabric folds.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic proportions and pose of the figure.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin, clothing, and headscarf.
step 03
Refine the shapes and values of the face, paying close attention to the light and shadow.
step 04
Develop the details of the clothing, focusing on the folds and textures.
step 05
Blend the edges of the forms to create a soft, natural look.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Refine the details of the background.
step 08
Add final touches and adjustments to the overall composition.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · ivory black · yellow ochre

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red, and umber, with small amounts of yellow ochre. The background is primarily umber and sienna, lightened with white. The orange garment is a mix of red, yellow, and umber.

techniques

·blending
·scumbling
·glazing
·portraiture
·value studies

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
→Creating harsh edges and transitions.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Using colors that are too saturated.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (burnt umber, raw sienna, titanium white, cadmium red, ivory black, yellow ochre)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits