plate no. 2703

The School of Athens (detail)

frescoHigh Renaissancehistory paintingfiguresrobesglobebeardhistoricalportrait

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, rendering drapery, and achieving subtle gradations in skin tones. It also provides practice in capturing realistic textures and details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main figures and their relative positions, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the basic shapes and colors of the background and figures using thin washes.
step 03
Begin layering colors to build up the skin tones, focusing on subtle shifts in value and hue.
step 04
Define the drapery folds and highlights using darker and lighter shades of the base colors.
step 05
Add details to the faces, such as eyes, noses, and mouths, using fine brushes.
step 06
Render the textures of the hair and beards with short, broken brushstrokes.
step 07
Paint the globes, carefully depicting the continents and celestial markings.
step 08
Refine the overall composition and add any final details or highlights.

color palette

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

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light · viridian

Achieve skin tones by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red or umber. Use ultramarine and white for cooler tones in the drapery. Mix viridian with yellow ochre for the green accents.

techniques