plate no. 5851

Saint Barbara

oilMannerism (Late Renaissance)religious paintingfiguresaintbookcrownlandscapereligious

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in depicting drapery and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figure and the main elements.
step 02
Establish the background with thin washes of color, paying attention to the atmospheric perspective.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure, including the face, hands, and drapery.
step 04
Begin to refine the facial features, focusing on accurate proportions and subtle value changes.
step 05
Develop the drapery, paying attention to the folds and highlights.
step 06
Add details to the crown, book, and other accessories.
step 07
Refine the overall composition, adjusting values and adding finishing touches.
step 08
Apply a final glaze to unify the painting and enhance the colors.

color palette

primary · flesh tones (various) · red · gold

secondary · green · brown · grey

Achieve flesh tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use glazes of burnt umber and raw sienna to create shadows and depth.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·scumbling
·blending
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.
→Using colors that are too saturated.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, burnt umber, raw sienna, ultramarine blue, viridian green)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags