Portrait of Countess Ekaterina Orlova

approach — 8 steps

color palette

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

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber

Skin tones are achieved by mixing yellow ochre, cadmium red light, and titanium white, with small amounts of burnt umber for shadows. The red sash is a mix of cadmium red light and a touch of burnt umber. The background is primarily ivory black with small amounts of other colors mixed in to create depth.

techniques

• ·portraiture
• ·chiaroscuro
• ·glazing
• ·blending
• ·rendering

common pitfalls

• →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
• →Failing to establish a clear light source.
• →Getting proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
• →Not blending skin tones smoothly enough.