plate no. 2701

Polyptych of St. Peter (St. Benedict)

oilHigh Renaissancereligious paintingfiguresaintbookstaffhaloreligious

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including rendering skin tones and creating a sense of depth through subtle value changes. It also offers practice in painting textures like fabric and wood.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, book, and staff.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, muted color.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the figure's robe, skin, beard, book, and staff.
step 04
Begin to refine the skin tones, using layers of thin paint to build up subtle variations in color and value.
step 05
Add details to the beard, using small brushstrokes to create texture and volume.
step 06
Paint the book, paying attention to the highlights and shadows that define its form.
step 07
Refine the staff, adding details such as the rings and the subtle variations in color.
step 08
Add the halo and any final details.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt sienna · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · titanium white

Mix ivory black and raw umber for the dark robe. Use burnt sienna and white to create the skin tones, adding small amounts of red for the cheeks. Mix cadmium red with a touch of yellow ochre for the book.

techniques