plate no. 6193
St. Cecilia
Konstantinos Parthenis, 1938
suitable for beginners
Recreating this painting will help students practice simplified figure drawing and subtle color blending to create a muted, ethereal effect. It also offers a good exercise in capturing a mood with minimal detail.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
2
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the figure, halo, and musical instrument using a soft pencil or charcoal.
- step 02
Establish the background tone by applying a thin wash of raw umber or a similar earth tone.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of the figure with a light mixture of white and a touch of blue, paying attention to the overall form.
- step 04
Use darker tones of brown and black to define the shadows and outlines of the figure and halo.
- step 05
Add subtle hints of blue and other colors to create depth and interest in the figure's clothing and the background.
- step 06
Soften the edges of the forms by gently blending the colors together with a soft brush or cloth.
- step 07
Add details to the musical instrument using thin lines and subtle shading.
- step 08
Refine the overall composition by adjusting the values and colors as needed.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · ivory black
secondary · cerulean blue · burnt sienna
Achieve the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of raw umber and black. Use blue sparingly to create subtle cool highlights.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
- ·limited palette
- ·simplified forms
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details.
- →Creating too much contrast.
- →Using colors that are too bright.
- →Losing the overall sense of simplicity.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·soft cloth
A pre-toned canvas with a light wash of raw umber can be helpful. Use a medium that promotes blending and glazing.
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