plate no. 0264

Portrait Of Hannah Seagraves Reeves

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfiguredresshatbooklandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations. Students will also learn to create soft, blended backgrounds and render fabric folds.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, hat, and background elements.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of neutral color.
step 03
Block in the main colors of the dress, skin, hat, and background.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, paying attention to subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Develop the details of the dress, including the folds and highlights.
step 06
Add details to the hat, hair, and other accessories.
step 07
Refine the background and add any final details.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers of color to unify the painting and add depth.

color palette

primary · red ochre · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · viridian green · yellow ochre

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red ochre, and small amounts of yellow ochre and black. The dress color is a mix of red ochre and black, lightened with white. Greens are created with viridian and yellow ochre.

techniques

·blending
·glazing
·scumbling
·portraiture
·fabric rendering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
→Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.
→Making the dress look flat and lifeless.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (red ochre, titanium white, ivory black, viridian green, yellow ochre)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags