plate no. 1015

Portrait of N. Zabela

Mikhail Vrubel, 1904

watercolor, paperArt Nouveau (Modern)portraitportraitfiguredressflowerswallpaperchair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle variations in tone and texture, as well as practice layering techniques to build depth and complexity.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the figure, chair, and the overall composition.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of yellow ochre and raw sienna to the background, creating a textured base.
step 03
Sketch in the floral pattern on the wallpaper with a light blue or lavender.
step 04
Begin blocking in the figure's dress with dark browns and umbers, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
step 05
Develop the facial features, using subtle washes of color to define the planes of the face.
step 06
Add details to the dress, such as the lace and embellishments, using fine brushstrokes.
step 07
Refine the background by adding more layers of color and texture.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw sienna · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · lavender · ultramarine blue · orange

Achieve the background color by mixing yellow ochre with raw sienna and a touch of white. Create the dress color by blending burnt umber with touches of raw sienna and black. Use white to lighten the skin tones.

techniques