plate no. 6305

Portrait of Georgina Xenia Alberú

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfigurewomanhairclothingface

some experience helpful

This painting provides practice in portraiture, focusing on capturing likeness and expression through color and brushstroke. Students will learn to mix skin tones and create depth using layers of paint.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and hair.
step 02
Block in the background with a base layer of red, varying the tone slightly.
step 03
Establish the main skin tones using a mix of warm yellows, reds, and browns.
step 04
Paint the hair using dark browns and blacks, leaving some areas lighter to suggest highlights.
step 05
Add the blue of the dress, using lighter blues for highlights and darker blues for shadows.
step 06
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Add details like freckles and the hair accessory.
step 08
Adjust the overall color balance and add final touches to the brushwork.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt umber

secondary · titanium white · ivory black

Mix skin tones by blending yellow ochre, cadmium red, and a touch of ultramarine blue. Use white to lighten and burnt umber to darken. Achieve the dress color by mixing ultramarine blue with white and a touch of black.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color mixing
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Overblending skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Incorrect proportions of facial features.
→Not varying the brushstrokes enough.
→Getting the background too uniform.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (cadmium red, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, titanium white, ivory black)
·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine