plate no. 3249

Portrait of Elena Alexandrovna Naryshkina

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitfigureroseslandscapetreesclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as practice blending and creating soft transitions.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure and key elements.
step 02
Establish the background with broad washes of color, creating the atmospheric perspective.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, including the face, hair, and clothing.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, using subtle color variations and soft blending.
step 05
Add details to the hair, creating texture and volume with careful brushstrokes.
step 06
Paint the clothing, paying attention to the folds and drapery.
step 07
Render the roses and other details in the foreground, adding highlights and shadows.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and refine details as needed.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, and umber, with small amounts of yellow ochre. Create the blue of the shawl by mixing ultramarine with white. The greens are a mix of viridian green, yellow ochre, and white.

techniques