plate no. 9660
Life of St Benedict, Scene 4.The Monk Romanus Dresses Benedict (detail)
Il Sodoma, 1508
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering figures with drapery and creating atmospheric perspective in landscapes. It also provides practice in depicting complex architectural details.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
2
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main compositional elements: figures, cityscape, and landscape.
- step 02
Establish the basic color blocks for the sky, city, and foreground landscape.
- step 03
Begin layering in details of the cityscape, focusing on the architectural forms and their relative sizes.
- step 04
Develop the figures, paying attention to the folds and shadows in the drapery.
- step 05
Add details to the landscape, including trees, rocks, and variations in the ground plane.
- step 06
Refine the sky with subtle color variations and cloud formations.
- step 07
Add the birds in the sky as a final detail.
- step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the painting and create depth.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white · cerulean blue
secondary · burnt sienna · viridian green · ivory black
Achieve the muted tones by mixing earth pigments with white and small amounts of blue or green. Use thin washes of color to build up depth and create atmospheric perspective.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·rendering drapery
- ·linear perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details in the cityscape too early.
- →Creating overly saturated colors that clash with the muted palette.
- →Failing to establish a clear sense of depth and atmospheric perspective.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in value and color within the drapery.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic gesso
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cerulean blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·retouch varnish
- ·medium
Use a fine-grain canvas to allow for detailed brushwork. Thin the oil paints with linseed oil to create glazes.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
related guides
in this vein
related artworks
The Adoration of the Kings
Giorgione
The Annunciation
Vittore Carpaccio
Madonna and Child with Saints Liberale and Francis (The Castelfranco Madonna)
Giorgione
St. Helena
Cima da Conegliano
St. Nicholas of Tolentino
Pietro Perugino
Portrait of Elizabeth Gonzaga
Raphael
Sibyl
Dosso Dossi
Madonna with Child and Saints
Raphael