plate no. 2556

The Savior Not Made by Hands

oilBaroquereligious paintingfacehaloreligious figuredraperyiconbeard

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in rendering subtle skin tones and creating a sense of depth through layering and glazing. It also offers practice in depicting drapery and creating a sense of aged texture.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare a toned canvas with a warm underpainting (e.g., burnt umber wash).
step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the face, halo, and drapery, paying attention to proportions and symmetry.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color: skin tones, hair, halo, and background drapery.
step 04
Begin layering and blending the skin tones, focusing on the subtle shifts in value and hue to create form.
step 05
Add details to the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, using fine brushes and careful observation.
step 06
Paint the hair, using thin glazes to build up depth and texture.
step 07
Render the halo with a combination of opaque and translucent layers, adding subtle highlights and shadows.
step 08
Complete the drapery, paying attention to the folds and highlights, and add any final details or embellishments.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red light · raw sienna

Achieve skin tones by mixing yellow ochre, burnt umber, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red for warmth. Use glazes of burnt umber and ivory black to create shadows and depth. The halo is primarily yellow ochre lightened with white.

techniques

·glazing
·dry brushing
·scumbling
·layering
·portraiture

common pitfalls

→Getting the proportions of the face incorrect.
→Overworking the skin tones and losing the subtle variations in color.
→Making the drapery too flat and lacking in depth.
→Not capturing the aged texture and subtle imperfections of the original.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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

optional

·Retouch varnish
·Medium gloss
·Damar varnish

Using high-quality oil paints will help achieve the subtle color variations and depth of the original. A smooth canvas surface is recommended for easier blending.

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