plate no. 1818
Portrait of Hristina Morfova
Dobri Dobrev, 1920
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting fabric and textures with visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and main features.
- step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of yellow and ochre.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color: skin tones, clothing, headdress, and hair.
- step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying attention to the light and shadow on the face.
- step 05
Develop the details of the clothing, including the folds and highlights.
- step 06
Add details to the headdress and braids, capturing their texture and form.
- step 07
Refine the background and adjust the overall values and colors.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · ultramarine blue · raw umber
Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red, and yellow ochre with small amounts of raw umber and blue for shadows. The headdress uses a mix of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and white for highlights.
techniques
- ·portrait sketching
- ·color mixing
- ·visible brushstrokes
- ·layering
- ·blending
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
- →Over-blending the skin tones, losing the texture.
- →Using too much detail too early in the process.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin and clothing.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·medium gloss
Use a medium-grain canvas to allow for visible brushstrokes. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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