plate no. 9724

Portrait of Marushka, Artist s Wife

Alphonse Mucha, 1905

gouache, boardRomanticismportraitportraitfigurewomanhairclothingface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and using a limited palette to create subtle variations in skin tone and form. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork to suggest detail rather than rendering it precisely.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, neck, and shoulders.
step 02
Establish the background with broad, loose strokes of dark browns and blues.
step 03
Block in the main areas of skin tone using a mix of ochre, white, and a touch of red, paying attention to the light source.
step 04
Define the shadows on the face and neck with darker mixtures of brown and blue.
step 05
Add details to the hair using a small brush and varying shades of brown and black.
step 06
Paint the clothing with loose strokes of blue and gray, suggesting folds and form.
step 07
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, ochre, and a touch of red. Shadows are created by adding brown and blue to the skin tone mixture. Hair color is achieved by mixing raw umber and ultramarine blue.

techniques