plate no. 3793

Portrait of Gloria Roberts

oilAcademicismportraitportraitfigurechilddressflowerslandscape

some experience helpful

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

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 thin wash of color, paying attention to atmospheric perspective.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, including the dress and hair.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, focusing on accurate placement and subtle value changes.
step 05
Develop the details of the dress, paying attention to the folds and highlights.
step 06
Add details to the hair, creating texture and volume.
step 07
Refine the background, adding details such as the flowering branch.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red light

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Mix various shades of white with small amounts of other colors to create subtle variations in the dress and skin tones. Use raw umber and ultramarine blue to create muted greens for the background.

techniques