plate no. 1831
Portrait of Julia Feodorovna Kurakina
Christina Robertson, 1841
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in painting fabric and lace details.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of neutral color.
- step 03
Block in the main colors of the skin, dress, and background.
- step 04
Refine the skin tones with subtle color variations and smooth blending.
- step 05
Add details to the dress, including the lace and folds.
- step 06
Paint the jewelry and other accessories.
- step 07
Adjust the values and colors to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ivory black · cadmium red · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · alizarin crimson
Mix skin tones by blending white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of blue. Achieve the dark blues of the dress by mixing ultramarine blue and ivory black. Create the red fabric with alizarin crimson and burnt umber.
techniques
- ·portrait painting
- ·glazing
- ·blending
- ·rendering fabric
- ·chiaroscuro
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors and creating muddy tones.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Ignoring the subtle value changes in the skin.
- →Getting lost in the details before establishing the overall form.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to improve the flow of the paint.
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