The girl with green eyes

A frontal portrait of a woman dominates the composition, centered and gazing directly outward. Her face is rendered in pale cream tones, framed by a deep reddish-brown hat and outlined in bold black lines that sharply define her features—the eyes, nose, and lips. She wears a vibrant red-orange dress decorated with golden stylized motifs, anchored by a crisp white collar with black contours at her throat. The background explodes with non-naturalistic forms: warm yellows and ochres on the left, cool light blue and gray tones with black linear patterns on the upper right, and muted greens suggesting still-life elements (flowers, vases, abstract shapes) arranged around her. Light falls frontally on the face, creating maximum contrast against the darker surrounding areas.

The painting splits into distinct value zones: the face and neck are among the lightest values in the composition, creating immediate focal pull; the dress reads as a strong mid-dark warm mass; the background contains a patchwork of lights (whites, pale blues in the upper right) and darks (deep browns in the hat, blacks in the outlines and background marks). The white collar acts as a high-value hinge between the face and dress. Squinting reveals the face as the single brightest element, with the background alternating between moderately light warm areas (left side yellows) and darker cool areas (right side blues and pattern marks).

• #b13920

  Cadmium red + touch of orange; or Alizarin + Cadmium yellow-red

  The dress dominates with this vivid red-orange, slightly orange-shifted in the lower portion

• #99201b

  Alizarin or Burnt sienna + small amount of ultramarine blue

  The hat and deep warm shadows in the face and dress

• #422523

  Mars black + raw umber, or ultramarine blue + burnt sienna

  The darkest accents: pupils, defining lines around facial features, outline of the hat

• #80663f

  Raw sienna + yellow ochre + touch of ultramarine for warmth

  The golden decorative motifs on the dress and some background warm tones

• #96987f

  Viridian or cerulean + yellow ochre + white

  Muted greenish tones in the background, particularly upper center and right areas

• #bbc7c6

  Titanium white + touch of cerulean blue + hint of ultramarine

  The cool light areas of the background (upper right), the white collar, and pale face highlights

This work relies on bold, deliberate outlines and simplified form—black contour lines define nearly every element with stark clarity: the profile of the face, the separation of collar from dress, the hat's silhouette. Brushwork within shapes is direct and visible but not fussy; the dress shows expressive strokes that follow the decorative pattern, while the face remains relatively flat and unified in color. The background abandons naturalism entirely, using loose, gestural marks and blocks of color to suggest flowers and forms rather than depicting them precisely—what matters is the color temperature and value interplay, not illusionistic detail.

1. 01

   Establish composition and face proportions

   Lightly sketch the centered head and shoulders, placing the eyes at roughly the upper-middle of your canvas. Mark the width of the shoulders and the baseline of the dress. Locate the hat as a broad horizontal mass above the head, and note the white collar as a horizontal band at the throat. Don't refine features yet—this is about proportional placement.

2. 02

   Block in background color zones

   Fill the entire background with broad, loose color regions: warm ochre and orange-yellow on the left side, cool pale blue-white on the upper right, muted olive-green in the center-upper area. Don't blend or soften—use flat, bold strokes. Leave the face and neck area white or very pale for now. This establishes the stage and protects the face's high value.

3. 03

   Establish the face tone and eyes

   Mix a pale, warm cream or off-white for the face (white + tiny touch of raw sienna). Block in the entire face and neck as one unified light value. While still wet or with a darker tone, boldly place the two eyes—large, almond-shaped, nearly black—and a simple nose shape. Use confident black or very dark brown lines to outline the profile of the face and define the edge between face and hair.

4. 04

   Define the hat and hair

   Paint the hat mass in deep reddish-brown (#99201b or similar—Alizarin + ultramarine). Make the form simple and geometric, not detailed. Define its edge sharply against the background. Add dark brown or black hair on either side of the face, using bold shapes. Add the red lips and any subtle face modeling (a shadow on one side of the nose, definition under the cheekbone) using warm, dark tones.

5. 05

   Paint the white collar

   Block in the crisp white collar around the neck with titanium white plus a hint of blue or warm undertone. Define its outline cleanly with black lines on all edges—this shape should read as graphic and strong, not soft. It acts as a visual bridge between the pale face above and the red dress below.

6. 06

   Paint the dress in bold red-orange

   Fill the dress area with the vibrant red (#b13920 or your warm red-orange). Use visible, directional brushstrokes. While the paint is still workable, block in the simplified golden-yellow decorative motifs on the dress (the animal or ornamental shapes visible in the center and lower area). Keep these shapes loose and stylized—they suggest rather than depict realism.

7. 07

   Refine and intensify background details

   Return to the background and add bolder, more gestural marks and color variation: darker lines and shapes suggesting flowers or vases on the right side (use black and dark blue), orange and warm accents on the left, additional green tones in the center. Build complexity through bold, non-naturalistic marks rather than refinement.

8. 08

   Define all edges with dark outlines

   Step back. Using very dark brown or black and a smaller brush, reinforce key contours: the profile of the face against the background, the edge of the collar, the outline of the hat, the shoulders meeting the dress. These lines should feel intentional and graphic—they're not corrections, they're the style. Soften nothing; keep edges crisp and direct.

9. 09

   Final value and color check

   Squint at the entire painting. The face should pop as the brightest element. The red dress should sing without looking muddied. The background should feel energetic and supportive, not compete for attention. If any area feels too soft or blended, add a bold mark or line to restore the expressive edge. Trust the simplified forms and bold color—this style resists fussiness.

• Making the red dress too dark, too muddy, or too orange—it needs to stay bold and saturated enough to hold the composition's warmth and energy
• Softening or blurring edges throughout; this style demands crisp, deliberate outlines and simplified shapes—blur kills the expressionist punch
• Overworking the face with too much detail or shading; keep it unified and simple, with just enough modeling to suggest form without photorealism
• Neglecting the white collar's clarity; it's a crucial high-value accent and graphic shape that separates face from dress—it must read clearly and crisply
• Making the background too literal or naturalistic; it should remain bold, abstracted, and decorative to complement (not compete with) the portrait's directness

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility