plate no. 5370

Elymas Struck Blind by St Paul Before the Proconsul Sergius Paulus

oilHigh Renaissancereligious paintingfiguresarchitecturecolumnscrowdreligious scenestatues

advanced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in figure drawing, drapery rendering, and creating a complex composition with many elements. It also provides practice in subtle color mixing and achieving realistic skin tones.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 40 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a preliminary sketch to establish the composition and placement of figures and architectural elements.
step 02
Block in the main shapes and values using a limited palette of earth tones.
step 03
Begin refining the figures, paying attention to anatomy and drapery folds.
step 04
Develop the architectural details, including the columns, arches, and statues.
step 05
Introduce local color to the figures and background, gradually building up the color intensity.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Refine the details of the faces and hands, paying attention to expression and gesture.
step 08
Add final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use ultramarine blue and burnt sienna to create various shades of gray for the architecture.

techniques

·figure drawing
·drapery rendering
·glazing
·chiaroscuro
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Getting lost in the complexity of the composition.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Overworking the details before establishing the overall form.
→Inaccurate figure proportions.
→Muddy colors due to overmixing.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (18x24 inches)
·Oil paints (raw umber, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, ivory black)
·Assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Rags