plate no. 7592

Sarah Homes Tappan

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfiguredresschairheadwearbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, skin tone mixing, and capturing likeness. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and subtle tonal variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 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 dress, face, and chair.
step 04
Begin to refine the skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Work on the details of the dress, including the folds and textures.
step 06
Add details to the headwear, focusing on the lace and ribbons.
step 07
Refine the chair and add any remaining details.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · burnt sienna · titanium white · cadmium red · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black

Skin tones are achieved by mixing burnt sienna, cadmium red, and titanium white, with small amounts of ultramarine blue and yellow ochre for subtle variations. The dress is a mix of cadmium red and burnt sienna, lightened with white.

techniques

·portraiture
·blending
·scumbling
·glazing
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Incorrect proportions
→Overly harsh blending
→Muddy skin tones
→Ignoring subtle color variations

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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