plate no. 1510

Unknown

Christian Schad, 1920

oilMagic Realismportraitportraitfigureshawlfanindoorwoman

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting fabric and creating a sense of depth through subtle shading.

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, shoulders, and placement of the fan.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, hair, shawl, dress, background, and fan.
step 03
Begin refining the skin tones, paying attention to subtle variations in color and value to create a realistic effect.
step 04
Develop the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth, focusing on capturing the likeness of the subject.
step 05
Work on the shawl, rendering the folds and shadows to create a sense of volume and texture.
step 06
Paint the dress, using dark values to create contrast with the shawl and skin.
step 07
Add details to the fan, paying attention to the shape and spacing of the ribs.
step 08
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in color and value to create depth.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ivory black · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · raw sienna

Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use burnt umber and black to create shadows. Vary the red with touches of yellow ochre to create the shawl's color variations.

techniques