Madonna and Child. Left Panel of Diptych de Melun

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · cadmium red

secondary · ivory black · yellow ochre

Achieve the flesh tones by mixing white, red, and a touch of yellow ochre. The blue-grey dress is a mix of ultramarine blue and black. The red angels are cadmium red with variations achieved by adding white or black.

techniques

• ·glazing
• ·scumbling
• ·blending
• ·underpainting
• ·layering

common pitfalls

• →Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations.
• →Making the drapery folds too harsh or defined.
• →Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.
• →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.