Portrait of Baroness Alain de Rothschild

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · cadmium red light · ivory black

Mix muted tones by combining primary colors with white and small amounts of complementary colors. Achieve the skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, cadmium red light, and white, adjusting the proportions to achieve the desired hue. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create the darker shades in the clothing and background.

techniques

• ·blocking in
• ·layering
• ·color mixing
• ·glazing
• ·scumbling

common pitfalls

• →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
• →Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
• →Losing the sense of depth by not layering colors effectively.
• →Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.