plate no. 7806

The Bride

Irma Stern, 1943

oilPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfigureheadscarffaceclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portrait painting, color mixing for skin tones, and creating form with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, headscarf, and shoulders.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of green and yellow.
step 03
Establish the main skin tones using a mix of warm yellows, reds, and browns.
step 04
Paint the headscarf using blues, greens, and whites, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the shadows and highlights to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Add small details like the dark accents in the headscarf.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a cohesive look.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · sap green · cadmium red light

Mix yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and a touch of red for the skin tones. Add white to lighten and blue to cool the tones. Use ultramarine blue and white for the headscarf, adding touches of green and yellow for variation.

techniques

·blocking in
·broken color
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overblending the skin tones, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Making the headscarf too uniform in color.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the shadows and highlights.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, titanium white, sap green, cadmium red light)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Linseed oil or painting medium
·Odorless mineral spirits or turpentine
·Palette knife