plate no. 3253
Woman in furs (Portrait of Mery Laurent)
Edouard Manet, 1882
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing likeness with loose brushstrokes and understanding subtle value shifts to create form. It's also a good exercise in limited palette painting.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, hat, and fur collar.
- step 02
Establish the background tone with a thin wash of neutral color.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of dark and light, focusing on the overall value structure.
- step 04
Begin adding details to the face, paying close attention to the placement of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Develop the form of the hat and fur collar, using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 06
Refine the edges and add subtle color variations to create depth and interest.
- step 07
Add final highlights and details to the face and clothing.
- step 08
Step back and assess the painting, making any necessary adjustments.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white
secondary · alizarin crimson · ivory black
Mix burnt umber and raw sienna with white for the skin tones, adjusting the ratio for highlights and shadows. Use alizarin crimson to add warmth to the cheeks and lips. Mix ivory black with burnt umber for the darks in the hat and fur.
techniques
- ·broken brushstrokes
- ·scumbling
- ·limited palette
- ·tonal painting
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Getting bogged down in mixing too many colors.
- →Not capturing the likeness of the subject.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·alizarin crimson oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
A toned canvas (e.g., with a thin wash of burnt umber) can be helpful to start.
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