plate no. 1227

Wilhelmine with a Ball

Lovis Corinth, 1915

oilImpressionismportraitportraitfigurewindowhatclothingball

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing likeness with expressive brushstrokes and understanding color temperature to create depth and form. It also provides practice in simplifying complex patterns and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, hat, and background window.
step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with a thin wash of color.
step 03
Begin building up the skin tones, focusing on the subtle shifts in color and value.
step 04
Work on the clothing, simplifying the patterns and using broken color to create texture.
step 05
Paint the hat, paying attention to the form and the way the light hits it.
step 06
Develop the background, using loose brushstrokes to suggest the window and the surrounding environment.
step 07
Add the details, such as the eyes, mouth, and any small accents.
step 08
Refine the painting, adjusting the colors, values, and edges as needed.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · ultramarine blue · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green · ivory black

Mix skin tones using white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of blue or umber. Achieve the grays and blues of the clothing by mixing blue, white, and umber. Use viridian green mixed with yellow and white for the window.

techniques

·broken color
·alla prima
·scumbling
·impasto
·expressive brushwork

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Getting bogged down in the complexity of the patterns and textures.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the figure.
→Not paying enough attention to the values and the way the light affects the colors.