plate no. 7333

Portrait of Alexandra Balashova

Filipp Malyavin, 1924

oil, cardboardArt Nouveau (Modern)portraitportraitfiguredresschairfabricbackground

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, capturing fabric textures, and using expressive brushstrokes to create a sense of movement and depth. It also provides practice in color mixing to achieve subtle variations in skin tones and fabric folds.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes and proportions of the figure, chair, and background.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure by blocking in the dark and light areas.
step 03
Begin with the face, mixing skin tones and paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 04
Work on the dress, using short, broken brushstrokes to capture the texture and folds of the fabric.
step 05
Paint the chair, focusing on the highlights and shadows to create a sense of form.
step 06
Develop the background with loose, expressive brushstrokes, suggesting depth and atmosphere.
step 07
Refine the details of the face, hands, and dress, adding subtle color variations and highlights.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust values to create a cohesive and dynamic composition.

color palette

primary · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · burnt umber · viridian green · cadmium yellow

Mix skin tones by blending yellow ochre, alizarin crimson, and titanium white. Achieve fabric colors by mixing primary colors with white and small amounts of secondary colors for subtle shifts in hue and value.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color layering
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Over-blending, which can result in a flat and lifeless painting.
→Getting bogged down in details too early, before establishing the overall value structure.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing, which can create a jarring effect.
→Ignoring the importance of edges and transitions between shapes.