St. Jerome praying before a rocky grotto

approach — 8 steps

color palette

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

secondary · yellow ochre · raw sienna · ultramarine blue

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, red ochre, and a touch of burnt umber. Use ultramarine blue to cool down the reds and create shadows. The dark background is achieved by layering thin washes of burnt umber and black.

techniques

• ·glazing
• ·scumbling
• ·chiaroscuro
• ·portraiture
• ·underpainting

common pitfalls

• →Getting the proportions of the figure wrong.
• →Overworking the details too early in the process.
• →Not creating enough contrast between light and shadow.
• →Failing to capture the subtle nuances of skin tone.