plate no. 0456

Coronation of the Virgin (detail)

wood, temperaEarly Renaissancereligious paintingangelsflowersskyfigureswingsreligious

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly rendering delicate facial features and hair, and in creating a sense of depth through subtle tonal variations. It also provides practice in painting floral details and creating a starry night sky.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition, including the angels' heads, wings, and the placement of the lilies.
step 02
Block in the background with the alternating dark and light blue stripes.
step 03
Add the stars to the background using small dots of white paint.
step 04
Begin painting the angels' faces, focusing on accurate proportions and subtle shading to create form.
step 05
Paint the hair, using thin layers to build up the curls and highlights.
step 06
Add the wings, paying attention to the texture and color variations.
step 07
Paint the lilies, starting with the stems and then adding the petals, using white and cream colors.
step 08
Refine details and add final highlights and shadows to create depth and realism.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · flesh tones (mix of white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red)

secondary · burnt umber · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Achieve the skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red, adjusting the proportions for highlights and shadows. The background is a mix of ultramarine blue and white, with varying amounts of white to create the striped effect.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·blending
·layering

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the faces wrong.
→Overworking the details and losing the overall harmony.
→Making the colors too saturated and not achieving the subtle tonal variations.
→Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.

materials

surface · wood panel or stretched canvas

required

·wood panel or canvas
·gesso
·tempera paints or acrylics
·small round brushes
·small flat brushes
·palette
·water or medium for thinning paints
·soft cloth

optional

·palette knife
·retarder medium
·varnish

Using a smooth surface like a gessoed wood panel will help achieve the smooth, blended look of the original painting. Tempera is the original medium, but acrylics can be used as a more accessible alternative.

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