plate no. 3247

St. Augustine Altarpiece (left wing)

oilHigh Renaissancereligious paintingfiguresreligiousrobeslandscapehaloaltarpiece

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in figure drawing, drapery rendering, and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in capturing subtle skin tones and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 30 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch outlining the main figures and their relative positions.
step 02
Establish the background landscape with broad washes of color, focusing on atmospheric perspective.
step 03
Block in the main color areas of the robes and skin tones, paying attention to value differences.
step 04
Refine the figures' anatomy and facial features, using subtle shading to create form.
step 05
Add details to the drapery, capturing the folds and highlights.
step 06
Paint the floor tiles, carefully rendering their perspective and color variations.
step 07
Add the halos and other symbolic elements.
step 08
Apply final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.

color palette

primary · red ochre · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

Achieve skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of red ochre, raw umber, and yellow ochre. Create depth in the robes by layering glazes of red ochre and ivory black.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·atmospheric perspective
·figure drawing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Inaccurate figure proportions.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the skin tones.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints: red ochre, ivory black, raw umber, titanium white, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife