plate no. 6380
Portrait of Elisabeth Moerlin
Henry Mosler, 1869
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and capturing likeness, as well as blending techniques for creating soft transitions in skin tones and fabrics.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
- step 02
Block in the main color areas: skin, dress, background foliage, and stone.
- step 03
Refine the skin tones with subtle variations in color and value.
- step 04
Add details to the dress, focusing on the ruffles and folds.
- step 05
Develop the background foliage with layers of greens and browns.
- step 06
Paint the details of the stone structure, including the texture and shadows.
- step 07
Add the final details, such as the rose and the highlights in the hair.
- step 08
Glaze and adjust colors as needed to achieve the desired effect.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · yellow ochre
secondary · cadmium red · sap green · raw sienna
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and umber. Achieve the blue of the dress by mixing ultramarine with white, and adding touches of umber for shadows. Greens are created by mixing blue and yellow, with umber for darker shades.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to thin the paints and improve blending.
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