plate no. 3246

Portrait of Suzy Solidor

Kees van Dongen, 1927

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfigurehairshipclothingface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing for skin tones and capturing a likeness with simplified shapes. It also offers practice in expressive brushwork and creating a sense of depth with color.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the head, hair, and shoulders, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with light blue and white, suggesting the shape of the ship.
step 03
Establish the main areas of skin tone with a base layer of yellow and green.
step 04
Add shadows to the face and neck using darker greens and blues.
step 05
Paint the hair with browns and yellows, using short, visible brushstrokes.
step 06
Define the features of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, with careful observation.
step 07
Add the red blush on the cheek and the black and white sailor collar.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust the colors as needed to capture the overall mood and likeness.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber

secondary · cadmium red · ivory black · sap green

Mix greens for the skin tones by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Achieve the blush by mixing cadmium red with white. Create darker shadows by adding burnt umber to the green mixtures.

techniques

·color mixing
·expressive brushwork
·blocking in
·layering
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Using too much black and creating muddy colors.
→Failing to capture the correct proportions of the face.
→Not paying attention to the subtle color variations in the skin tones.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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