plate no. 7214

Madonna and Child (Madonna Benson)

oil, woodEarly Renaissancereligious paintingMadonnaChildfigureslandscapereligiousdrapery

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone blending, as well as understanding how to depict drapery folds and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the Madonna and Child, paying attention to their relative sizes and positions.
step 02
Establish the background landscape with a thin wash of muted greens and blues.
step 03
Block in the main color areas: the skin tones, the red drapery, and the blue veil.
step 04
Begin layering and blending the skin tones, focusing on subtle shifts in value and hue to create a realistic effect.
step 05
Develop the folds and shadows in the drapery, using darker shades of red and blue to create depth.
step 06
Add details to the clothing, such as the patterned fabric beneath the veil.
step 07
Refine the facial features of the Madonna and Child, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ivory black

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, raw umber, and small amounts of cadmium red and yellow ochre. The blue veil is a mix of ultramarine blue and white, with touches of ivory black for shadows. The red drapery is cadmium red light with burnt sienna and raw umber for darker areas.

techniques