plate no. 7885
Portrait of Nina Shik
Serge Sudeikin, 1937
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering subtle skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting textures, such as the fur scarf and fabric of the clothing.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and hands.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color, starting with the background and then moving to the skin tones, clothing, and scarf.
- step 03
Refine the skin tones by layering and blending different shades of peach, pink, and brown.
- step 04
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying attention to the subtle variations in value and color.
- step 05
Render the texture of the fur scarf by using short, broken brushstrokes and varying the values.
- step 06
Develop the clothing by adding shadows and highlights to create a sense of depth and form.
- step 07
Add the green detail and refine the background.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and details.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · sap green
Mix skin tones by combining yellow ochre, burnt umber, cadmium red, and titanium white. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create the darker tones in the clothing and scarf. Mix sap green with yellow ochre to create the green detail.
techniques
- ·blending
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·color mixing
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations in color.
- →Failing to capture the texture of the fur scarf.
- →Not paying attention to the values and creating a flat, lifeless painting.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes
- ·flat brushes
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
- ·mineral spirits (if using oil paints)
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
- ·painting rags
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Acrylic paints are easier to clean up, but oil paints offer richer colors and blending capabilities.
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