Candlemas Day

A woman in profile gazes toward a burning candle positioned at left, bathed in its warm glow. Her head is wrapped in crisp white linen that reads as the brightest accent in the composition. Behind her, a dark-green leaded window fills most of the frame, with thick forest-colored panes creating a grid that frames her silhouette. An open prayer book and wooden candlestick rest on the ledge before her, their natural wood tones warm against the cool darkness. The candlelight itself is the focal point—the eye enters from the right, drawn to the flame's glow reflecting on the white fabric and illuminating half her face.

Extreme value separation: the deep forest-green window panes (#1c2420, #4e5430) form the darkest mass, while the white linen head covering is nearly the lightest element in the painting. The face and hands occupy a warm mid-tone range. The candlelight creates a small but powerful light source on the left edge. When you squint, you see three clear zones: dark green background, lit face and fabric, and the glow around the flame.

• #1c2420

  Viridian + Ivory black + touch of Ultramarine blue

  The deep forest-green window panes (dominant background)

• #4e5430

  Viridian + Yellow ochre + Ultramarine blue

  Mid-tone window glass and shadowed areas of the window frame

• #cabb8e

  Titanium white + Yellow ochre + touch of Ultramarine blue

  The white linen head covering with subtle warm shadows

• #a1986a

  Yellow ochre + Red ochre + Titanium white + Ultramarine blue

  Skin tones, the wooden candlestick, book pages, and warm underpainting

• #f5deb3

  Titanium white + touch of Yellow ochre

  The candle itself and its brightest glow

• #d4555a

  Red ochre + Yellow ochre + Titanium white

  The red-coral collar and fabric at the neck

Tempera here yields precise, controlled edges—hard geometry on the window grid and book corners, but soft modeling on the face and figure. The white linen shows subtle parallel strokes suggesting fabric pleats and folds without being overtly painted. The candlelight glow is rendered with careful soft edges, not harsh outlines; the warm light diffuses into the surrounding cool tones rather than sitting on top. Brushwork is nearly invisible in service of form and light.

1. 01

   Establish the drawing

   Lightly outline the profile of the head, the angle of the shoulders, and the position of the candle on the left edge. Map the window grid lines behind the figure. Locate the book and candlestick on the table ledge. Get the proportions of the face and the wrapped head covering—pay special attention to the nose profile and chin angle.

2. 02

   Block in the darks

   Paint the entire window background with your dark forest-green mixture. Work around the silhouette of the figure. Use bold, confident strokes here; this establishes the stage on which everything else will play.

3. 03

   Establish the face and neck

   Model the profile face with warm mid-tones (ochre + white + touch of red). Build the jaw line, cheek plane, and forehead with subtle value shifts. Leave the lit side (facing the candle) slightly lighter; the shadow side (left cheek) slightly warmer and darker. The red collar sits just behind the neck line.

4. 04

   Paint the white linen head covering

   Block in the major folds of the wrapped fabric with a pale cream tone. Then model the shadows within the folds using the same cream mixed with ultramarine blue and yellow ochre to keep shadows cool and slightly muted. Avoid pure white—the fabric should feel three-dimensional, with depth in its folds.

5. 05

   Render the candlelight and glow

   Paint the candle itself in pale cream-yellow, then add a warm golden glow around it spreading onto the nearby fabric and book pages. Soften the edges of this glow so it reads as light dispersing, not a hard shape. The reflection on the white fabric should be warmer and slightly more saturated than the surrounding pale linen.

6. 06

   Define the book and candlestick

   Paint the open pages of the book in pale tan-cream tones. Add the wooden candlestick in warm ochre-brown, suggesting its cylindrical form with subtle shadow on one side. The book binding can be slightly darker to separate it from the pages.

7. 07

   Refine the window detail

   If desired, add faint texture or variation to the window panes—a slightly lighter or warmer tone in some panes to suggest old glass. Keep this subtle; the window should remain a solid, cool backdrop that doesn't compete with the figure.

8. 08

   Add the red collar accent and final details

   Paint the red-coral collar or necklace visible at the neck—a warm, earthy red that complements the candlelight rather than screams against it. Refine any lost edges where the white fabric meets the green background, ensuring they read as cloth against glass, not a flat outline.

• The white linen head covering can flatten into chalk if painted without enough shadow variation—use cool ultramarine-based shadows in the folds to keep it dimensional and lit.
• The face profile is easy to botch in proportion; the nose angle and chin projection are critical to likeness. Measure repeatedly before committing to paint.
• The candlelight's glow can look like a yellow halo rather than luminous light if the surrounding colors aren't warm and muted enough to receive it—the green should be slightly yellowed near the glow.
• The dark green background can read as flat or murky if it's too uniform—vary the value slightly in different window panes to suggest old glass and keep the composition alive.
• Over-blending in tempera can muddy the work; use enough pigment to avoid becoming chalky, but don't overshare—let some brushstrokes show subtle directional intent in fabric folds.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility