Portrait of Fra Antionio Martelli

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · raw sienna

Achieve the skin tones by mixing white, raw umber, and a touch of yellow ochre. Use thin glazes of burnt umber and raw umber to create shadows and depth. The white cross is achieved by mixing white with a tiny amount of yellow ochre or raw sienna for subtle warmth.

techniques

• ·chiaroscuro
• ·glazing
• ·scumbling
• ·dry brushing
• ·underpainting

common pitfalls

• →Overworking the details too early in the process.
• →Making the shadows too dark and losing the form.
• →Not paying attention to the subtle gradations of light and shadow.
• →Using too much paint and losing the transparency of the glazes.