plate no. 2170
Woman with Flowers in Her Hair
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering soft, realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in painting hair and delicate floral details.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic proportions and pose of the woman on the canvas.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, hair, clothing, and background.
- step 03
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 04
Develop the hair, using layers of color to create depth and texture.
- step 05
Add the floral details, focusing on their delicate shapes and colors.
- step 06
Refine the clothing and background, adding subtle details and shadows.
- step 07
Glaze to unify the painting and adjust values.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the portrait.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · titanium white · yellow ochre · cadmium red
secondary · sap green · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use burnt umber and white for shadows. Mix greens from yellow and blue.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·glazing
- ·layering
- ·rendering
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the soft, natural look.
- →Failing to create depth in the hair.
- →Making the floral details too busy or distracting.
- →Not paying enough attention to the subtle variations in color and value.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use a fine-weave canvas for smoother blending. Consider using a medium to improve the flow of the paint.
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