plate no. 8077
Man of Sorrow
Pietro Lorenzetti, 1345
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering realistic skin tones using glazing and scumbling techniques, as well as understanding subtle value shifts to create form.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Prepare a toned canvas with a warm underpainting.
- step 02
Sketch the basic figure and frame outlines, paying attention to proportions.
- step 03
Block in the large areas of color: skin, hair, background, halo, and frame.
- step 04
Begin layering skin tones, using thin glazes to build up depth and subtle variations.
- step 05
Add details to the hair, using fine brushstrokes to create texture and movement.
- step 06
Paint the halo with a warm, golden color, adding subtle texture.
- step 07
Develop the frame with intricate details and marble-like patterns.
- step 08
Add final details like the blood and subtle shadows.
color palette
primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white · ivory black
secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre
Achieve skin tones by mixing raw umber, burnt sienna, and titanium white in varying proportions. Use thin glazes of cadmium red to add warmth to the skin and create the blood details.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·hatching
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations.
- →Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
- →Ignoring the importance of thin glazes for building depth.
- →Neglecting the details in the frame.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·assorted round and flat brushes
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·dammar varnish
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to thin the paints for glazing.
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