plate no. 0101

Woman in a Straw Hat

Roger Bissière, 1920

oilPost-Impressionismportraitfigureportraithatfoliagewomanlandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in broken color techniques and capturing form with loose, expressive brushstrokes. It's also a good exercise in simplifying complex subjects into basic shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure and background.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of diluted paint.
step 03
Begin applying broken color strokes to define the form and light.
step 04
Focus on capturing the local color of each area, rather than blending smoothly.
step 05
Build up layers of color, allowing some of the underpainting to show through.
step 06
Pay attention to the direction of the brushstrokes to suggest form and texture.
step 07
Refine the details of the face and hands, but maintain a loose, expressive style.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · Prussian blue

secondary · sap green · cadmium yellow · titanium white

Mix various shades of green by combining Prussian blue and cadmium yellow. Use burnt umber and yellow ochre to create warm browns for the skin tones and hat. Add white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques