plate no. 5343
Portrait of Kornélia Lotz
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones, as well as practicing loose, expressive brushwork to create texture and form.
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 proportions of the face and figure on the canvas.
- step 02
Block in the background with a dark red-brown color, varying the tone slightly.
- step 03
Establish the main values of the face, dress, and shawl using thin washes of color.
- step 04
Build up the skin tones with layers of subtle color variations, focusing on highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to their shape and expression.
- step 06
Define the folds and textures of the dress and shawl with expressive brushstrokes.
- step 07
Paint the hair with loose, broken strokes, capturing its volume and texture.
- step 08
Add the jewelry details and refine the overall composition.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black
Mix skin tones by blending white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Achieve the dark background by mixing burnt umber and a touch of black. Use white with a hint of yellow ochre for the dress.
techniques
- ·portrait sketching
- ·color mixing for skin tones
- ·loose brushwork
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the freshness of the brushwork.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Creating too much contrast and making the painting look harsh.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 filbert brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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