plate no. 8852

The Head of St John the Baptist

canvas, oilBaroquereligious paintingheadplatereligious figurehalotablehair

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly rendering realistic skin tones and hair, as well as understanding light and shadow to create depth and form. It also provides practice in depicting metallic surfaces and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and composition, paying attention to the proportions of the head and the ellipse of the plate.
step 02
Establish the background with a dark, even tone.
step 03
Block in the main areas of the head, plate, and table with thin washes of color.
step 04
Begin building up the skin tones, using layers of color to create depth and realism.
step 05
Add details to the hair, using small brushstrokes to define the curls and highlights.
step 06
Paint the plate, carefully observing the highlights and shadows to create a metallic effect.
step 07
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism and depth.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · yellow ochre

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, raw umber, burnt sienna, and small amounts of alizarin crimson. The plate is achieved by mixing yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and white, with touches of black for shadows.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·portraiture
·underpainting

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the head wrong.
→Overworking the skin tones and making them look muddy.
→Failing to create a convincing metallic effect on the plate.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in light and shadow.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·Oil paints (raw umber, burnt sienna, titanium white, ivory black, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, yellow ochre)
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife
·Rags