Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John in a Landscape

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · raw umber · cadmium red light · ivory black

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red and umber. Mix blues and blacks for the dark drapery. Use glazes of burnt sienna and red to create the warm tones in the clothing.

techniques

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

common pitfalls

• →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
• →Overworking the details too early in the process.
• →Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
• →Failing to capture the subtle gradations of light and shadow.