plate no. 0795
Christ
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It will also provide practice in depicting drapery and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, orb, and background elements.
- step 02
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with thin washes of color.
- step 03
Begin building up the skin tones with layers of subtle color variations, paying attention to the light source.
- step 04
Define the features of the face, focusing on accurate proportions and subtle details.
- step 05
Paint the drapery, using darker values in the shadows and lighter values in the highlights.
- step 06
Add details to the orb, including the cross and the highlights.
- step 07
Refine the background and add any final details.
- step 08
Glaze the painting with thin layers of color to unify the composition and enhance the depth.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · cadmium red
secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · ivory black
Achieve skin tones by mixing burnt umber, raw sienna, cadmium red, and titanium white. Create shadows by adding ultramarine blue or ivory black to the skin tone mixture.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·blending
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones and creating a muddy effect.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth in the drapery.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Allow each layer to dry before applying the next.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Madonna Enthroned with Saints
Filippo Lippi
Christ the Judge (detali)
Fra Angelico
The Dead Christ Supported by an Angel
Antonello da Messina
St. Michael and St. John
Álvaro Pires de Évora
Penitent St. Jerome
Fra Angelico
The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
Sandro Botticelli
Coronation of the Virgin (detail)
Filippo Lippi
Adoration of the Child
Filippino Lippi