plate no. 0884

Mater Dolorosa

oilNorthern Renaissancereligious paintingfigurenunreligiousportraithandshead covering

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in rendering skin tones and drapery folds. It also provides practice in achieving subtle gradations of light and shadow to create form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the figure, head covering, and hands, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of burnt umber and raw sienna.
step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the face and hands using a limited palette of white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red.
step 04
Begin layering the skin tones, gradually building up the highlights and shadows with subtle color variations.
step 05
Paint the head covering, focusing on the folds and drapery, using white mixed with small amounts of grey and yellow ochre.
step 06
Define the details of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, paying close attention to the subtle expressions.
step 07
Add the details of the hands, including the knuckles, fingernails, and wrinkles.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting the values and colors as needed to create a harmonious and realistic image.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · cadmium red

secondary · ivory black · raw sienna

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Shadows are created by adding burnt umber and a small amount of black. The head covering is primarily white with subtle variations of grey and yellow ochre.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·chiaroscuro
·underpainting

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure early on.
→Getting lost in details before establishing the overall form.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin tones.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, cadmium red, ivory black, raw sienna)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife
·rags