Maria with the sleeping child

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · raw umber · ivory black · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · cadmium red light

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red; use raw umber and ivory black to create the dark background and shadows. Mix ultramarine blue with raw umber to create the dark blue fabric.

techniques

• ·glazing
• ·blending
• ·chiaroscuro
• ·portraiture
• ·drapery rendering

common pitfalls

• →Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a muddy appearance.
• →Failing to capture the subtle nuances of the facial expressions.
• →Creating harsh lines or edges, rather than soft transitions.
• →Inaccurate proportions of the figures.