plate no. 2150
St. Cecilia
Guido Reni, 1610
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in rendering realistic skin tones and drapery folds. It also provides practice in creating subtle value gradations to suggest form.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure and objects.
- step 02
Establish the background with a dark, neutral tone.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color: skin, clothing, and musical instrument.
- step 04
Begin layering and blending colors to create smooth transitions in the skin tones.
- step 05
Develop the drapery folds, paying attention to light and shadow.
- step 06
Add details to the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 07
Refine the musical instrument and the palm leaf.
- step 08
Add the halo and any final details.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red light
secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black · ultramarine blue
Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, red, and a touch of yellow ochre and burnt umber. The gold drapery is created using yellow ochre mixed with burnt umber and white for highlights.
techniques
- ·blending
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·portraiture
common pitfalls
- →Overblending, resulting in a flat, lifeless appearance.
- →Incorrect proportions in the figure.
- →Getting the skin tones too saturated or unnatural.
- →Ignoring the subtle value changes in the drapery.
- →Not capturing the likeness of the subject.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A medium such as linseed oil can be used to thin the paints and improve blending.
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