plate no. 6134

Woman in a Butterfly Jersey

Lucian Freud, 1991

oil, canvasExpressionismportraitportraitfigurewomansweaterhandsscarf

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting complex patterns and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a preliminary sketch to establish the proportions and composition.
step 02
Block in the main shapes and values using thin washes of color.
step 03
Develop the skin tones, paying close attention to subtle color variations and highlights.
step 04
Paint the sweater, focusing on accurately rendering the pattern and texture.
step 05
Add details to the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 06
Refine the hands, capturing the wrinkles and bone structure.
step 07
Adjust the overall values and colors to create a cohesive and realistic image.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · raw umber

secondary · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue · sap green

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and small amounts of red and blue. The sweater pattern uses muted versions of these colors.

techniques