plate no. 6946
Robertine Tourteau, Marquise d'Orvilliers
Jacques-Louis David, 1790
some experience helpful
This painting offers a good opportunity to practice portraiture, focusing on skin tones and fabric folds. Students can also improve their blending and glazing techniques to achieve smooth transitions.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and chair.
- step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, dress, and hair.
- step 04
Refine the skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Add details to the dress, including folds and lace.
- step 06
Work on the hair, creating texture and volume.
- step 07
Paint the chair and any remaining details.
- step 08
Add final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.
color palette
primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red light
secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue
Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and umber. Achieve the dress color by mixing black with a touch of blue and umber. Use glazes of raw umber to create depth in the shadows.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·glazing
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·fabric rendering
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the freshness.
- →Making the dress too flat and lacking depth.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·damar varnish
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a glazing medium to enhance the transparency of the glazes.
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