plate no. 7218

Portrait of Grand Duchess Zinaida Yusupova

oilAcademicismportraitportraitfiguredressjewelrylacehair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations. It also offers practice in rendering delicate fabrics and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and oval background.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin, even layer of blue.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the face, hair, and dress with basic colors.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Develop the details of the dress, including the folds and lace.
step 06
Add the jewelry and other accessories.
step 07
Refine the hair, adding highlights and shadows to create volume.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt umber

secondary · cadmium red · ivory black

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and umber. The dress is primarily white with subtle variations created by adding small amounts of blue, yellow, or brown.

techniques