plate no. 1075

Portrait of Princess Z. A. Volkonskaya

oil, canvasRomanticismportraitportraitfigurejewelryclothingheadscarffur

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, rendering skin tones, and depicting fine details like jewelry and fabric textures. It also offers practice in creating a sense of depth and volume through subtle shading and highlighting.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the oval composition and the figure's pose, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, skin tones, clothing, and fur.
step 03
Begin refining the skin tones, using layers of thin paint to build up subtle variations in color and value.
step 04
Work on the details of the face, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 05
Add the details of the clothing, jewelry, and headscarf, paying attention to the textures and patterns.
step 06
Render the fur, using short, broken brushstrokes to create a sense of texture.
step 07
Refine the background, adding subtle details and variations in color.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth and volume.

color palette

primary · ivory black · burnt umber · cadmium red · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · gold

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber; use glazes of red and umber to create shadows. Mix black and umber for the fur, adding highlights with white and gray.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·portraiture
·rendering fur
·blending

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
→Overworking the skin tones and making them look flat.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
→Making the fur look too uniform and lacking in texture.

materials

surface · stretched canvas (oval)

required

·stretched canvas (oval)
·oil paints (ivory black, burnt umber, cadmium red, titanium white, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife