plate no. 6549

Portrait of Woman

Francis Picabia, 1935

oil, canvasExpressionismportraitportraitwomanhairfaceclothingexpressionism

some experience helpful

This painting offers a chance to practice pointillism and portraiture. Students can learn to build form and value using small dots of color, and develop their understanding of facial proportions.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic outline of the woman's face, hair, and clothing on the canvas.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of green and yellow.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the face, hair, and clothing with their base colors (yellow-ochre for the face, dark brown for the hair, and reddish-brown for the clothing).
step 04
Begin applying small dots of darker brown and red to the face to create the pointillist effect, focusing on areas of shadow and contour.
step 05
Add highlights to the face with lighter shades of yellow and white, continuing the pointillist technique.
step 06
Develop the hair with layers of dark brown and black dots, suggesting texture and volume.
step 07
Refine the clothing with similar pointillist techniques, using darker and lighter shades of reddish-brown to create folds and shadows.
step 08
Add final details to the eyes, lips, and other facial features.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · dark brown · reddish brown

secondary · green · yellow · black · white

Achieve the skin tone by mixing yellow ochre with small amounts of red and brown. Create darker shades by adding more brown and red. Lighten with white.

techniques

·pointillism
·portraiture
·color mixing
·layering
·contouring

common pitfalls

→Applying the dots too uniformly, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
→Losing the underlying structure of the face and features.
→Using colors that are too saturated, creating an unnatural look.
→Not varying the size and density of the dots to create depth and dimension.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, dark brown, reddish brown, green, yellow, black, white)
·Small round brushes (various sizes)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Rags