plate no. 2251

Portrait of Mrs Sándor

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfigureclothingfacehaircollar

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle value gradations for realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in rendering fabric textures and folds.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the oval composition and the basic proportions of the figure.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin, clothing.
step 03
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the light and shadow on the face.
step 04
Develop the details of the clothing, including the collar and the folds of the fabric.
step 05
Add highlights to the face, hair, and clothing to create a sense of depth.
step 06
Blend the edges of the colors to create a smooth transition.
step 07
Add final details, such as the jewelry and the texture of the hair.
step 08
Glaze to unify the painting and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light

secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black

Mix skin tones using white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Use ultramarine blue and raw umber to create the darker shades of the jacket. Add white to these mixtures to create the lighter shades.

techniques

·portraiture
·blending
·glazing
·value studies
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the details.
→Using too much paint.
→Failing to create a smooth transition between the colors.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, raw umber, ultramarine blue, cadmium red light, yellow ochre, ivory black)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife