plate no. 6771
Portrait of Napoleona Elisa Baciocchi
Marie-Guillemine Benoist, 1810
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as practice blending techniques to create soft transitions and atmospheric perspective.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figure and the main elements of the landscape.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the sky and the background landscape.
- step 03
Establish the basic values of the figure, paying attention to the light and shadow patterns.
- step 04
Refine the facial features and details of the figure, focusing on capturing the likeness.
- step 05
Add details to the dress, including the lace and the folds.
- step 06
Develop the background elements, such as the trees and the flowers.
- step 07
Add the final details and highlights to the painting.
- step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the colors and create depth.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ivory black · yellow ochre · raw umber
secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · sap green
Mix various shades of white with small amounts of yellow ochre, raw umber, and black to achieve the subtle skin tones. Use ultramarine blue and white for the sky, and mix greens with yellow ochre and ultramarine blue for the foliage.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·glazing
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·rendering fabric
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
- →Overworking the details before establishing the basic values.
- →Using too much paint and losing the subtle color variations.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·linseed oil
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to thin the paints and improve blending.
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