plate no. 7137

Portrait Of Miss Lilian Macintosh

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitportraitfigurewomanscarfhairclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering soft, diffused lighting. It also provides practice in color mixing to achieve subtle skin tones and fabric textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and scarf.
step 02
Establish the background with thin washes of color, blending the sky and ground tones.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the face, hair, and clothing with broad strokes, focusing on the overall values.
step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to the subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Develop the texture of the hair and scarf with smaller, more deliberate brushstrokes.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension in the clothing and scarf.
step 07
Refine the background and edges to create a sense of atmosphere.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed to achieve a cohesive and harmonious composition.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · alizarin crimson

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw umber

Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and a touch of alizarin crimson. Use ultramarine blue to cool down the skin tones in shadow areas. Create the scarf color by mixing yellow ochre and burnt sienna, adjusting the ratio for highlights and shadows.

techniques