plate no. 2221

Maria Magdalena

oilHigh Renaissancereligious paintingfigurewomanbookwindowreligiousportrait

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations, as well as rendering drapery and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the proportions and placement of the figure and book.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, muted tone.
step 03
Block in the main color areas: skin, hair, clothing, and book.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, paying close attention to highlights and shadows.
step 05
Develop the details of the hair, creating texture and volume.
step 06
Work on the drapery, adding folds and highlights to create depth.
step 07
Paint the book and other details, such as the pearl headband and flower.
step 08
Add final touches and glazes to unify the painting.

color palette

primary · ivory black · burnt umber · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

secondary · viridian · titanium white

Mix skin tones using white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Create the dark background by mixing black and umber. Achieve the green dress color by mixing viridian with umber and a touch of yellow.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·portraiture
·rendering drapery
·blending

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
→Failing to create a sense of depth in the drapery.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the hair.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (ivory black, burnt umber, cadmium red light, yellow ochre, viridian, titanium white)
·Assorted brushes (round and flat, sizes 2-8)
·Palette
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Soft cloth