The Most Difficult Portrait Painting in the World: A Lesson in Portraiture after Da Vinci in Oils

Some argue that Leonardo da Vinci’s angel within the Virgin of the Rocks is more difficult to paint than the Mona Lisa. One only has to view the latter of his two versions, housed in the National Gallery to see why.  See exquisite sfumato shadows over the face, ghostly highlights on the cheekbones, translucent eyes and hair like spun gold. And the face in three-quarter view poses a further quandary for the portrait painter.

How can the oil painter capture these Renaissance effects?

Well my book, Oil Painting the Angel within Da Vinci’s the Virgin of the Rocks

Unleash the Right Brain to Paint the Three-quarter Portrait View might help.

Paint Da Vinci's Angel step by step

This book offers practical advice on how to paint this most difficult portrait. Each stage is broken down into manageable pieces, which makes this Renaissance painting more achievable.

The first part of this book aims to unleash the right side of the brain in order to render a portrait in three-quarter view, avoiding common pitfalls in drawing the face. Art materials and the under painting is also explained.

Learn how sfumato of the Renaissance style can be achieved with modern art materials and a compact space, without the use of a studio or bulky easels.

Images within this book

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The chief section of this book comprises numerous step by step images and instructions on how the angel was completed. Learn about glazing in oils, color blending, applying detail and smooth shading. A troubleshooting guide and glossary can also be found.

A challenging yet rewarding project on achieving Da Vinci’s early Renaissance style by the use of modern and simple art materials. With color illustrations throughout.

Paperback book’s dimensions: 8x10in and 48 pages. Also available on Kindle, Kobo, Google Play and Apple.