plate no. 4291
Saint Dumitru
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and subtle skin tone variations. It also provides practice in rendering textures like fabric and metal.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a light sketch outlining the figure's pose and major shapes.
- step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted browns and grays.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color: skin tones, clothing, and armor.
- step 04
Begin refining the facial features, paying close attention to light and shadow.
- step 05
Develop the details of the clothing and armor, adding highlights and shadows to create form.
- step 06
Paint the halo using thin layers of yellow and white, blending carefully to create a soft glow.
- step 07
Add the final details, such as the cross and any decorative elements.
- step 08
Glaze to unify colors and create depth.
color palette
primary · titanium white · raw umber · yellow ochre · cadmium red
secondary · viridian green · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use raw umber and white for the gray armor. Mix greens from yellow and blue.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·glazing
- ·blending
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·rendering metal
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the face wrong.
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Making the skin tones look flat or unnatural.
- →Failing to create a convincing sense of light and shadow.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·palette knife
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A medium-sized canvas (16x20 or 18x24) is recommended.
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