Perugia Altarpiece (left panel)

Two religious figures stand vertically against a luminous gold background, which dominates and reads as the true light source in the composition. The left figure wears a black Dominican habit with white underrobes and holds an open book with readable text; the right wears ornate gold-embellished vestments over white, holding a golden book and ornate cross-staff. Light falls from the front, creating sharp value separation between the nearly black robes and the brilliant gold background, with the figures' faces and hands catching warm, diffused light. The eye moves first to the open book on the left—the highest local contrast point—then across the ornamental details and haloes. Haloes frame each figure with decorative circular patterns in semi-transparent gold.

The value range spans from near-black (robes and deep shadows) through warm midtones (flesh, gold embellishments) to brilliant lights (gold background, white underrobes). The darkest values cluster in the Dominican's habit and robe folds; the lightest in the gold background and white garments. Squint and you see three distinct zones: very dark figures, brilliant gold field, with flesh and white fabric bridging the gap. The drapery folds create subtle value shifts within the black robes—shadows read darker brown rather than pure black, preserving form and dimension.

• #c7c0a0

  Raw sienna + titanium white + touch of cadmium yellow, with gold leaf or gold acrylic

  Main gold background and halo circles; dominant throughout the upper half

• #1b171c

  Ivory black + raw umber, slightly warmed

  Dominican's black habit; deepest shadows in drapery folds

• #b09b74

  Raw sienna + titanium white + raw umber

  Warm mid-tone in gold ornamental trim and embellishment on right figure's vestments

• #7d6e5c

  Raw umber + cadmium red light + titanium white

  Warm flesh tones on faces and hands; also shadows in white drapery

• #987d5b

  Raw umber + cadmium red light

  Deeper warm tones in flesh shadows and brown folds in drapery

• #5c4c42

  Raw umber + ivory black

  Mid-dark brown in shadow folds of robes; bridge between black and mid-tones

Edges are sharply defined where the dark figures meet the gold background—no soft transitions here; the artist used this contrast to push the figures forward. Where fabric meets fabric (fold edges within the robes, where white underlayers emerge), edges soften considerably with blended transitions. The brushwork in the gold background shows directional marks and subtle variation in warmth, not flat coverage; observe the slightly visible directional texture that prevents the gold from reading as pure flat color. Drapery folds are rendered with controlled precision—the folds follow logical light logic and the brushstrokes reinforce the direction of fabric movement.

1. 01

   Underpainting and composition

   Lay down a warm mid-tone ground (raw umber + white). Lightly sketch the two figures' overall proportions and placement—note how both figures are nearly the same height and centered in their halves of the composition. Mark the halo circles (semi-transparent rings) and the vertical axis of the staffs and book. Pay attention to where the white underrobes peek out from under the dark habits—these define the silhouette.

2. 02

   Block the gold background

   Mix the dominant gold using raw sienna + titanium white + a touch of cadmium yellow, or apply gold acrylic over gesso. Apply it broadly, but observe that the gold has subtle directional brushstrokes—it's not uniform. Let the gold slightly warm toward the top and cool slightly toward the edges. The background is your light source, so treat it as active, not passive.

3. 03

   Establish the black robes and value foundation

   Mix a deep brown-black from ivory black + raw umber (not pure black). Block in both figures' outer habits and robes, establishing the silhouettes. Note that the left figure's robe is denser black; shadows within the robe folds should be only slightly darker, using the same mix with more black for the deepest folds. This step locks in the high contrast that defines the painting.

4. 04

   Layer the white and pale underrobes

   Paint the white underrobes visible at the neck, wrists, and hem of the left figure, and the full-length pale vestment under the right figure's gold overlay. These are not pure white—they're off-white with cool undertones. Use titanium white + a whisper of raw umber. Where these robes sit in shadow (particularly where they meet the black habit), darken with a cool gray to suggest depth and form.

5. 05

   Render flesh and facial features

   Establish warm flesh tones on faces and hands using raw umber + cadmium red light + titanium white. The left figure's face is three-quarter view, downturned; the right figure's face is in profile, more austere. Add warmer notes where light touches (forehead, cheekbones, the bridge of the nose). Shadows in the faces use a cooler brown (raw umber + a touch of alizarin or cadmium red). Eyes and mouth are suggested with minimal detail—they're small and don't invite close scrutiny in the original.

6. 06

   Develop drapery folds and volume

   Return to the robes and refine the fold structure. Use warm browns (raw umber + cadmium red light) for shadow areas where folds catch warm reflected light, and cooler browns (raw umber + a touch of black) for folds in direct shadow. The left figure's robe drapes in vertical cascades with sharp, angular folds; the right figure's vestments are more formal and structured. Observe how the folds reinforce the upright posture of both figures.

7. 07

   Ornamental details and attributes

   Add the gold embellishments on the right figure's vestments—use your gold mix with slightly more saturation and definition. Paint the open book on the left: the pages are pale (off-white with warm undertones), and the text is suggested with fine lines in dark brown or black—do not attempt to render every word, just the visual weight and pattern of script. Add the wooden cross-staff on the right figure in warm brown with gold accents at the terminals. Paint the lily stem and bloom in the left figure's hand with pale green and white.

8. 08

   Haloes and final refinement

   Define the haloes as semi-transparent gold rings using your gold mix thinned to a glaze; add decorative radial or cross-hatch patterns in darker gold or brown. Refine any edge work, particularly where the haloes sit against the gold background (the halo circles should have subtle texture and variation so they read as distinct from the flat background). Step back and verify that the value contrast between the dark figures and bright gold reads clearly—this is the painting's core power.

• Treating the gold background as flat or uniform—it has directional brushwork and subtle warmth shifts that prevent it from reading as inert or decorative. Observe and replicate this character or the background will feel lifeless.
• Pushing the black robes too dark with pure black, which flattens form. The shadows within the folds should be warm browns that still read as dark but show fabric structure and light-catching surfaces.
• Overworking the flesh tones or making them too pink or too yellow. The actual tones are warm but earthy, sitting comfortably between sienna and umber—if they feel sallow or ruddy, recalibrate.
• Losing the haloes in the gold background or making them too opaque/too bright. They should read as semi-transparent rings with subtle patterning—they sit *in* the gold, not on top of it.
• Rendering the text in the open book too literally or too small to read. The original uses the book as a compositional anchor and symbol; suggest text weight and layout without attempting perfect legibility.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility