plate no. 6993
Portrait of Daphne Spencer
Stanley Spencer, 1951
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as practicing detailed brushwork for textures like lace and hair.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 25 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, hat, and background elements.
- step 02
Establish the main light and shadow areas on the face and clothing.
- step 03
Block in the base colors for the skin, hair, hat, and background.
- step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create smooth transitions in the skin tones.
- step 05
Add details to the facial features, paying attention to the subtle variations in color and value.
- step 06
Render the textures of the hat, lace, and clothing with careful brushstrokes.
- step 07
Refine the background details and adjust the overall composition.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the sense of depth and realism.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · ultramarine blue · ivory black · alizarin crimson
Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red for warmth. Use ultramarine blue and ivory black to create cool shadows.
techniques
- ·portrait sketching
- ·color mixing for skin tones
- ·layering and blending
- ·rendering textures
- ·glazing
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Failing to capture the correct proportions of the face.
- →Ignoring subtle variations in skin tone.
- →Getting lost in details before establishing the overall form.
- →Not using enough contrast to create depth.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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