Holy Family with Young Saint John

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · raw sienna · ivory black

Mix various shades of skin tones using white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of burnt umber. Achieve the blue of the Virgin Mary's robe by mixing ultramarine blue with white and a touch of black for shadows.

techniques

• ·glazing
• ·sfumato
• ·chiaroscuro
• ·portraiture
• ·figure drawing

common pitfalls

• →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
• →Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
• →Failing to create a sense of depth in the background landscape.
• →Not blending the colors smoothly enough.