plate no. 3059
Young girl from Nancy in a snowy landscape
Émile Friant, 1887
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly capturing subtle skin tones and rendering realistic clothing textures. It also provides practice in creating atmospheric perspective in a landscape.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figure and the main lines of the buildings and street.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the sky, the buildings, the snow, and the figure's clothing.
- step 03
Refine the skin tones of the face, paying attention to subtle variations in color and value.
- step 04
Add details to the figure's clothing, such as the buttons and the texture of the hat.
- step 05
Develop the background, adding details to the buildings and the figures in the distance.
- step 06
Create the effect of snow by using short, broken brushstrokes and varying the values of the white paint.
- step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Glaze to unify the painting and adjust the values as needed.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ivory black · raw umber · yellow ochre
secondary · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light
Mix various shades of gray for the snow and sky by combining white, black, and a touch of blue or umber. Achieve skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, red, and a small amount of umber.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
- ·broken color
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a flat or lifeless appearance.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.
- →Using too much pure white for the snow, which can look unnatural.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the shadows.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use a limited palette to achieve a harmonious color scheme. Consider using a toned canvas to establish a base color.
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