plate no. 9859
St Anthony of Padua with the Infant Christ
Guercino, 1656
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, figure drawing, and creating depth through chiaroscuro. It also provides practice in rendering realistic skin tones and drapery.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 25 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a preliminary sketch to establish the composition and proportions.
- step 02
Block in the main shapes and areas of light and shadow using thin washes of color.
- step 03
Develop the background, gradually building up layers of dark tones.
- step 04
Focus on the figure of St. Anthony, refining the facial features and drapery.
- step 05
Paint the infant Christ, paying close attention to the anatomy and skin tones.
- step 06
Add details to the book and flowers, using smaller brushes.
- step 07
Refine the highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth and volume.
- step 08
Add final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · ivory black
secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · ultramarine blue
Achieve skin tones by mixing white, sienna, and a touch of red. Use black and umber for shadows, and add blue to darken the background.
techniques
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·portraiture
- ·figure drawing
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Failing to create a strong sense of depth.
- →Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·#2 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·painting easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a toned canvas to simplify the initial stages of painting.
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