She went away accompanied by the Lions

A woman in profile stands centered and slightly elevated, wearing a patterned crimson dress with a flowing pale skirt decorated with red scroll motifs. Two lions flank her—one on each side—their heads level with her waist, creating a triangular composition that draws the eye upward to her face. A nearly black background (almost pure shadow) isolates the entire figure group, while warm ambient light catches the underside of her chin, the inner curve of her dress, and the lions' manes, suggesting light source from slightly above and to the left. The eye enters at her face, travels down the rich red pattern of her bodice, then distributes equally to the two symmetrical lions.

The darkest darks are nearly pure black in the background and deep shadows under the lions' chins and within their manes; the lightest lights are the pale cream-tan of her exposed neck, the inner folds of her skirt, and selective highlights on the lions' fur. There is a distinct middle value group in her dress pattern and the lions' bodies. Squinting reveals three clear zones: the bright face-and-neck, the medium-dark dress, and the near-black background that frames everything.

• #231c1a

  Ivory black + burnt umber, slightly warmed

  Background, deepest shadows in manes, folds beneath lions' bodies

• #c09b84

  Raw sienna + white + touch of cerulean blue (desaturated tan)

  Woman's neck, face, inner skirt folds, lions' underside fur highlights

• #dfc7ac

  Raw sienna + white + small amount of crimson for warmth

  Lightest folds of the skirt, catch-light on her cheek and neck

• #66483e

  Burnt umber + crimson, subdued

  Lions' mane shadows, mid-tone fur, outer dress contours

• #8b3a3a

  Crimson + burnt umber

  Red scroll pattern on skirt, bodice brocade, ribbon accents

Edges are characteristically Rackham: hard and deliberate around the woman's profile and dress silhouette, with fine detail work visible in the repeating scroll pattern on her skirt. The lions' fur uses directional strokes that follow the form—radiating outward from the mane—creating texture through line rather than thick impasto. The background is nearly uniform and matte, possibly worked with a broader tool, creating strong value contrast without texture.

1. 01

   Establish the dark field

   Lay in the background with a mixture of ivory black and burnt umber, keeping it nearly uniform and very dark. Use a medium-sized round or flat brush, working around the silhouettes of the woman and lions but not worrying about precision yet. Leave this slightly warm rather than pure black—the burnt umber will give it depth.

2. 02

   Block the woman's profile and dress shape

   Using a medium round, paint the woman's neck and face with the pale tan mixture (#c09b84). Then block in her dress in two zones: the upper bodice in a mid-crimson, and the lower skirt in pale cream. Work loosely at this stage; focus on proportions and the basic division between fabric textures.

3. 03

   Establish the lions' basic forms

   Block in both lions with the warm mid-brown tone (#66483e), defining their heads, necks, and visible body mass. Keep their edges soft against the background initially. Position their heads so the mane line is roughly level with the woman's hip—this is a key proportion.

4. 04

   Develop the woman's facial features and hair

   Refine her profile: darken the background around her cheek and jawline with a small brush, then add subtle modeling to her neck and the underside of her chin with the lighter tan. Her hair appears swept back; use the pale tan for highlights on the crown and sides, then shadow with burnt umber + a touch of the background mix. Her eye should be dark and placed clearly on the profile line.

5. 05

   Paint the scroll pattern on the skirt

   Using a small round brush and crimson + burnt umber mix, carefully draw the repeating scroll/spiral pattern across the pale skirt. The motifs are roughly evenly spaced and follow the fabric's flow downward. This requires a steady hand and patience—work slowly, letting the paint dry between sections if needed to avoid muddying the pale undercoat.

6. 06

   Refine the bodice brocade and dress folds

   The upper dress shows a red patterned fabric; layer crimson and burnt umber to suggest texture and depth, darker in the shadowed folds near her body. Paint visible folds in the pale skirt using the tan and light cream, with subtle gray-brown shadows (burnt umber + touch of black) in the deepest creases. The fabric should read as heavy and gathered.

7. 07

   Develop the lions' manes and fur texture

   Using a small round, paint directional strokes radiating from the mane centers outward, varying between burnt umber, the warm mid-brown, and the pale tan for highlights. The manes are dark and voluminous; leave the strokes visible. Work the front-facing lion's mane to show it is slightly closer. Add darkest shadows (nearly black) in the interior of the manes where they meet the body.

8. 08

   Define edges and final details

   Sharpen the silhouettes of the woman and lions against the background using a small brush and the dark background mix. Reinforce the hard edge of her profile, the inner contours of her dress, and the top of the lions' heads. Add catch-lights: a small pale highlight on the woman's cheek, subtle gleams on the lions' fur where light catches the outer edges of their manes.

9. 09

   Unify and adjust values

   Step back and assess the overall value range. The background should be noticeably darker than any other element. If the dress pattern reads too bright, tone it slightly. The lions' fur should sit between the background and the woman's skin in value. Make final adjustments to ensure the woman's face reads as the brightest, most luminous area—this is the focal point.

• Making the background too light or too brown—it must be nearly black to frame the figure group and create the distinctive Art Nouveau silhouette effect. Resist the urge to add detail or texture to the background.
• Losing the scroll pattern on the skirt through muddy overpaint. The pale cream base must be dry and solid before laying the crimson pattern, or use a small brush with minimal medium to keep lines clean.
• Treating the lions as background elements rather than co-subjects. Their manes must read as three-dimensional and textured through directional brushwork; they are as important compositionally as the woman's dress.
• Overworking the woman's face and neck. These areas should be smooth and luminous with minimal visible brushwork; keep them cleaner and more refined than the textured dress and manes to maintain her as the focal point.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility