plate no. 6405
The Ecstasy of St. Francis of Assisi
El Greco, 1600
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, rendering fabric folds, and creating dramatic lighting effects. It also provides practice in glazing and layering techniques to achieve depth and luminosity.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the figure's pose and the placement of the skull.
- step 02
Establish the dark background with a thin wash of dark brown and black.
- step 03
Block in the main shapes of the figure and robe with mid-tone grays and browns.
- step 04
Begin layering lighter tones to define the highlights on the face, hands, and robe.
- step 05
Add details to the face, paying attention to the expression and the subtle variations in skin tone.
- step 06
Refine the folds of the robe, using darker shadows and lighter highlights to create depth.
- step 07
Paint the skull with careful attention to its form and texture, using a limited palette of yellows, browns, and grays.
- step 08
Add the ethereal light streaks in the background, blending them softly into the darkness.
color palette
primary · raw umber · ivory black · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna
Achieve the muted tones by mixing black and white with small amounts of umber and ochre. Use glazes of burnt sienna to add warmth to the skin tones.
techniques
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·underpainting
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
- →Not blending the edges of the light streaks sufficiently.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·linseed oil
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·turpentine
- ·retouch varnish
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a toned canvas to simplify the underpainting process.
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