plate no. 3134

Portrait of the Countess Lily De Roussy De Sales

oilRealismportraitportraitfigurewomandressred backgroundhair

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting fabric and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic proportions and pose of the figure, paying attention to the head and shoulder placement.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of red.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the face, hair, and dress with simplified values.
step 04
Refine the facial features, focusing on accurate placement and subtle transitions in skin tone.
step 05
Develop the details of the dress, including the folds and the flower embellishment.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create form and dimension.
step 07
Refine the hair, adding texture and detail.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and values.

color palette

primary · red ochre · ivory black · titanium white · cadmium yellow

secondary · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue · raw umber

Mix skin tones using white, yellow, red ochre, and a touch of red or blue for shadows. Achieve the dress color by mixing black with blue and a touch of red. The background is primarily red ochre and alizarin crimson.

techniques

·portrait painting
·blending
·glazing
·value study
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the details too early.
→Creating muddy skin tones.
→Failing to capture the subtle value changes that create form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (red ochre, ivory black, titanium white, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, raw umber)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Palette knife