plate no. 0711

Young Girl Fixing Her Hair

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfigurehairfaceclothing

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, subtle skin tone blending, and rendering realistic hair textures. It also provides practice in capturing soft lighting and delicate details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the figure's pose and proportions.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: skin, hair, clothing, and background.
step 03
Begin layering skin tones, paying close attention to subtle value changes.
step 04
Work on the hair, using thin layers to build up texture and highlights.
step 05
Refine the facial features, focusing on accurate placement and subtle shading.
step 06
Add details to the clothing, such as the lace trim.
step 07
Adjust the background to create the desired level of contrast.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt sienna · cadmium red light

secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, burnt sienna, and a touch of red. Use yellow ochre and ultramarine blue to create muted greens for subtle shadows. Mix small amounts of ivory black to darken values carefully.

techniques