The Storybook

Reproduction of the painting by William Bouguereau in 1877.

Reproducing this portrait of a little french girl from 1877 was a wonderful experience. Following classical painting techniques, I produced a complete charcoal value sketch on a hardboard coated with bonded marble gesso. I did separate studies of the face and hands. I then applied a gray green underpainting called "verdaccio" rendering the form completely in monochrome. Thin glazes of oil color were applied to the background, parts of her hair, garment, and the book. More opaque oil color was applied to her flesh, hair, and the highlights of the garment. M. Bouguereau's painting hangs in the LACMA museum in Los Angeles.

Available for purchase. Please contact me for details.