Adoration of the Magi

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light

Achieve the muted tones by mixing browns, blacks, and whites. Use small amounts of red and yellow to add warmth to certain areas. Create atmospheric perspective by adding more white to the colors as they recede into the background.

techniques

• ·underpainting
• ·glazing
• ·scumbling
• ·atmospheric perspective
• ·figure drawing

common pitfalls

• →Getting lost in the details of individual figures before establishing the overall composition.
• →Creating too much contrast, which can flatten the image.
• →Failing to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
• →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the initial washes.