plate no. 1063
Smiling Girl
Helene Schjerfbeck, 1921
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing subtle expressions and using a limited palette to create depth and form. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
5
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, hair, and shoulders.
- step 02
Block in the background with a dark, muted color.
- step 03
Establish the basic skin tone with a light, fleshy color.
- step 04
Add shadows and highlights to define the form of the face.
- step 05
Paint the hair using loose, expressive strokes.
- step 06
Refine the features of the face, paying attention to the subtle expression.
- step 07
Add details to the clothing.
- step 08
Adjust values and colors as needed to create a cohesive and expressive portrait.
color palette
primary · titanium white · burnt umber · ivory black
secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre
Mix white with small amounts of burnt umber and red to create the skin tones. Use black and umber for the background. Yellow ochre can be added to the skin tone for warmth.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·scumbling
- ·limited palette
- ·expressive brushwork
- ·tonal painting
common pitfalls
- →overworking the details
- →getting the proportions wrong
- →using too many colors
- →not capturing the subtle expression
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
A toned canvas (lightly stained with burnt umber) can be helpful for establishing the initial values.
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