Portrait of Berthe Bady

Berthe sits directly confronting the viewer with a slight, knowing expression, her pale face glowing against dark blue dress and purple-mauve background. Vertical brushstrokes energize the entire background, creating atmospheric vibration that frames the figure. The white lace at her shoulders—crisply rendered—catches front-left light and anchors the eye movement. A yellow-green chair frame anchors the right edge, grounding the composition despite its loose, expressive execution.

The painting separates into three clear value zones: luminous face and neck (lightest), dark navy dress (darkest darks), and mid-tone purple background. The background contains purple and mauve variation that prevents flatness but stays distinctly lighter than the dress. This high-contrast separation of figure from ground is the painting's structure—squint and the face pops as a single bright shape against everything else.

• #f5e6d3

  Titanium White + touch of Burnt Sienna + hint of Prussian Blue

  Face, neck, and upper chest—pale but not pure white, with warm undertone

• #363b4f

  Prussian Blue + Crimson + touch of black

  Dark blue dress body, creating the dominant dark mass

• #faf9f7

  Titanium White with minimal blue tint

  White lace trim at shoulders and sleeves—needs to read as luminous lace, not flat white

• #805e63

  Crimson + Burnt Sienna + Prussian Blue

  Mid-purple background areas, particularly lower left and right

• #555965

  Prussian Blue + Crimson + white

  Cooler purple-grey tones in background, mixed throughout

• #2d2d2d

  Prussian Blue + Crimson + Burnt Sienna, darkened

  Hair, shadows on face, darkest accents

• #7ca854

  Yellow Ochre + Prussian Blue

  Yellow-green chair frame visible on right edge

Lautrec uses deliberately soft edges on the face—the cheek and jaw dissolve slightly into shadow without hard lines. The white lace, by contrast, has crisper boundaries where it meets the dark dress. Background strokes are rapid, vertical, and obviously directional; they don't attempt to describe form but instead create an energetic color and texture field. The dress itself is rendered with diagonal/sweeping strokes that suggest volume without photographic blending.

1. 01

   Block in the composition

   Lightly sketch the overall proportions: head position in upper-center, shoulders spanning most of the width, chair frame on right. Don't detail features yet—focus on getting the seated pose and head tilt accurate. Notice the head tilts slightly to the right, chin resting on hand.

2. 02

   Underpainting and value masses

   Scrub in the major value zones with thin paint: dark blue for the dress body, pale tan for the face and neck, mid-purple for the background. This is your roadmap. Keep it loose—you're establishing that the face is the light shape, the dress is the dark shape, and the background is the middle tone that makes both read.

3. 03

   Build the background atmosphere

   Using vertical strokes, layer purples, mauves, and hints of red into the background. Vary the purple—cooler blue-purples on the left, warmer mauve-reds on the right and lower areas. The strokes should be evident and directional, not blended smooth. This energetic backdrop is essential to the painting's character and should take up roughly two-thirds of your canvas area.

4. 04

   Establish the dress and seated figure

   Paint the dark blue dress as one cohesive dark mass. Use diagonal and curved strokes that follow the body's contours—sweeping down from shoulder to lap. The dress isn't flat; let your brushstrokes suggest folds and volume. Notice the dress gets slightly lighter on the left side where light touches it. Paint the chair frame in yellow-green on the right—it provides both structure and color accent.

5. 05

   Model the face

   Work into the pale face shape with subtle value shifts. The face is built from very few values but suggests form through careful placement—slightly darker on the shadow side of the nose and cheekbone, warmer peach on the lit cheek. Keep edges soft; this is where Lautrec's technique is most delicate. Place the eyes, nose, and mouth with restraint—a few decisive marks, not detail.

6. 06

   Paint the white lace trim

   Now add the crisp white lace at shoulders and sleeves. This is nearly pure white but needs shadow tones (slight blue-grey) in the folds to read as dimensional lace, not flat paint. Keep the edges crisper here than on the face—the contrast between soft face and structured lace is essential. The lace acts as a light accent that launches the eye toward the face.

7. 07

   Define features and refine

   Add the red lip color, sharpen the eye contact, darken the hair where needed. The expression is key—a slight lift at the mouth corner, direct gaze. Refine the hand on the chin (visible on left side) with a few warm, subtle strokes. Step back frequently; Lautrec's strength is bold simplicity, not fussy detail. A few strong marks beat many small ones.

8. 08

   Final integration

   Check value relationships: Is the face still luminous? Does the dress still read as a dark, unified mass? Are the background strokes energetic enough without fighting for attention? Make small adjustments—a touch more warmth in the face shadow, a slightly darker accent in the hair, perhaps soften an edge that became too hard. Less is more here.

• Making the background too uniform or overblending—it should retain visible, directional vertical brushstrokes that create visual energy
• Overworking or overdetailing the face—the power comes from restraint; a few well-placed values and marks are stronger than extensive modeling
• The white lace can easily flatten into pure white noise; it needs shadow tones and directional brushwork to read as dimensional fabric trim
• The dress can turn muddy or lose its dark integrity if you add too much detail or blend it excessively; keep it bold and painterly with clear directional strokes
• The likeness lives in the expression and head tilt more than in precise anatomical measurement—if proportions feel slightly off but the character reads, don't over-correct

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility