plate no. 5401
Flora
Bartolomeo Veneto, 1520
experienced study
Recreating this painting would help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate skin tone mixing and rendering fine details. It also provides practice in depicting drapery and jewelry.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 40 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, head covering, and drapery.
- step 02
Establish the background with a dark, even tone.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color: skin, drapery, hair, and greenery.
- step 04
Begin layering skin tones, focusing on subtle variations in light and shadow.
- step 05
Refine the drapery folds and highlights, paying attention to how the fabric drapes.
- step 06
Paint the hair, creating the individual curls with careful brushstrokes.
- step 07
Add details to the headdress, jewelry, and flowers.
- step 08
Apply final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.
color palette
primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · raw umber · alizarin crimson
secondary · viridian · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light · ivory black
Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, a touch of red, and small amounts of raw umber for shadows. The green is a mix of viridian and yellow ochre, with white added for highlights.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·portraiture
- ·rendering
- ·color mixing
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
- →Failing to capture the subtle variations in color.
- →Losing the form of the drapery in the folds.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, raw umber, alizarin crimson, viridian, ultramarine blue, cadmium red light, ivory black)
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
- ·assorted brushes (small round, small flat)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·rags
optional
- ·retouch varnish
- ·medium gloss
- ·drying retarder
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A smooth canvas surface will aid in achieving the smooth skin tones.
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