plate no. 0387

Woman s Head

oil, boardPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfigurewomanheadprofile

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly capturing likeness and creating form with loose brushstrokes. It also provides practice in color mixing and achieving subtle variations in skin tones.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head and shoulders.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of warm brown.
step 03
Establish the main shadow areas on the face and clothing using darker browns and umbers.
step 04
Begin building up the mid-tones and highlights on the face, mixing pinks, yellows, and whites.
step 05
Refine the facial features, paying attention to the subtle curves and angles.
step 06
Add details to the hair and clothing, using short, expressive brushstrokes.
step 07
Adjust the values and colors as needed to create a sense of depth and dimension.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to the eyes and lips.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · cadmium red light

secondary · ivory black · yellow ochre

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red, and yellow ochre with small amounts of umber for shadows. Use varying ratios to create subtle color shifts.

techniques

·dry brush texture
·scumbling
·color layering
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Using colors that are too saturated or bright.
→Not paying attention to the subtle shifts in value and color.

materials

surface · oil painting board

required

·stretched canvas or oil painting board
·oil paints (burnt umber, raw sienna, titanium white, cadmium red light, ivory black, yellow ochre)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (rounds and flats)
·linseed oil or painting medium
·odorless mineral spirits or turpentine
·rags