plate no. 4546

The infant Jesus with a Lamb

oil, temperaHigh Renaissancereligious paintingfigurelambchildreligiousportraitskin tones

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering realistic skin tones, blending, and creating soft transitions between light and shadow. It also provides practice in depicting textures, such as the wool of the lamb.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare the canvas with a toned ground (burnt umber wash).
step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the child and lamb, paying attention to proportions.
step 03
Establish the darkest shadows with a thin layer of burnt umber and black.
step 04
Begin layering in the mid-tones of the skin using a mix of white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red.
step 05
Develop the highlights on the face and body, gradually lightening the skin tones.
step 06
Paint the lamb's wool with short, broken strokes of white, grey, and yellow ochre.
step 07
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 08
Add final glazes to unify the colors and create depth.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt umber · yellow ochre

secondary · ivory black · cadmium red light · raw sienna

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Shadows are created by adding burnt umber and black to the skin tone mixture. The lamb's wool is a combination of white, grey (white and black), and a touch of yellow ochre.

techniques