plate no. 7450

Sarah Siddons as Isabella from 'The Tragedy of Isabella' or 'The Fatal Marriage'

oilNeoclassicismportraitportraitfiguredresshairveilface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone blending. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and hair textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head and shoulders.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of blue, creating subtle variations in tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, dress, and veil.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, paying close attention to the subtle shifts in color and value.
step 05
Develop the hair, using small brushstrokes to create texture and volume.
step 06
Add details to the dress, including the lace trim and folds in the fabric.
step 07
Refine the features of the face, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue

secondary · ivory black · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of umber. Use ultramarine blue and white for the background, adding small amounts of umber for darker areas. Mix black and umber for the dress, adding white for highlights.

techniques