plate no. 8783

Portrait of Adolphine Købke, Sister of the Artist

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitportraitfiguregirlclothingplaidruffles

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations, as well as rendering fabric textures and patterns.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions of the head, shoulders, and clothing, paying attention to the overall composition.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, neutral tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, clothing, and ruffles.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, focusing on subtle shifts in value and color to create form.
step 05
Develop the details of the hair, paying attention to the highlights and shadows.
step 06
Paint the clothing, carefully rendering the plaid pattern and the texture of the fabric.
step 07
Add the details of the ruffles, capturing their delicate folds and shadows.
step 08
Refine the overall painting, adjusting values and colors as needed to create a cohesive and realistic image.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ivory black · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

secondary · raw umber · burnt sienna · alizarin crimson

Mix skin tones using titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, and a touch of ivory black. Achieve the plaid pattern by mixing cadmium red with raw umber and ivory black for the darker squares.

techniques