plate no. 9214

Portrait of Felicite Emma Aimé

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfiguredresshairchairlace

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering fabric textures. It also provides practice in subtle color mixing and blending to create 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.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, muted tone.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the dress, paying attention to the folds and highlights.
step 04
Begin layering the skin tones, starting with mid-tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows.
step 05
Refine the details of the face, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Add details to the dress, including the lace and ruffles.
step 07
Paint the hair, using small, controlled brushstrokes to create texture.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ivory black · raw umber · cadmium red light

secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Mix white with small amounts of raw umber and black to create the various shades of the dress. Use red and yellow ochre for skin tones, adjusting with white and blue for highlights and shadows.

techniques