plate no. 0175
Portrait of an Unknown Lady
Aleksey Antropov, 1760
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as practicing subtle blending techniques to create soft transitions.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch of the oval composition and the figure's basic proportions.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, hair, dress, and background.
- step 03
Begin layering in the mid-tones and shadows on the face, paying attention to the light source.
- step 04
Develop the details of the hair and lace cap, using small brushstrokes.
- step 05
Work on the fur collar, building up texture with short, broken strokes.
- step 06
Add highlights to the jewelry and other details.
- step 07
Refine the overall composition and make any necessary adjustments.
- step 08
Add final details and glazes to unify the painting.
color palette
primary · ivory black · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber
secondary · cadmium red light · viridian
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use ivory black and burnt umber for darks, lightening with white for highlights. Mix viridian with yellow ochre to create the green tint in the lace.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a muddy appearance.
- →Failing to capture the subtle nuances of light and shadow.
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Making the fur look flat and lifeless.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 0, 2, 4)
- ·flat brushes (sizes 4, 6)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to improve the flow of the paint.
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