This is my first portrait in oils, created under the guidance of Master Artist Frank Covino. Frank taught us to faithfully copy ten master painters before attempting our own original masterpieces. For this piece, I chose to copy Portrait of a Young Man (c. 1517–18) by the Renaissance master Andrea del Sarto, now in the National Gallery, London.
I signed the finished work appropriately to honor the original artist: “Patti Johnson after Del Sarto.”
Frank instructed me to apply a thick mixture of marble dust gesso with a palette knife to the nose, forehead, and shirt sleeves. This technique builds real sculptural texture in the highlighted areas, allowing light to catch and emphasize those forms dramatically—exactly as Covino advocated for advancing illuminated passages.
I selected this particular painting for my first project because Frank recommended starting with a simple head-and-shoulders composition. I was also drawn to del Sarto’s masterful use of Rembrandt-like lighting—dramatic chiaroscuro with strong side illumination that sculpts the face, deepens shadows in the eye sockets, and brilliantly highlights the gathered white shirt and sleeve folds, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere reminiscent of later Baroque masters.
My process followed traditional academic methods:
- I cut a wood panel to 16″ × 20″.
- I applied five coats of marble dust gesso to create a durable, absorbent surface with excellent tooth.
- Next, I drew a precise pencil sketch of the composition.
- I then executed an underpainting using a thin gray-green palette limited to ten values, establishing form and tonal structure.
- For the overpainting, I mixed a full ten-value range of skin tones and applied them in layers.
- The painting was coated with medium and allowed to dry for one full year.
- Finally, I applied five coats of varnish and let it cure for another year.
This patient, layered approach—combined with the impasto highlights—ensures longevity and prevents cracking, true to Old Master practices.
This portrait marks the beginning of my journey in classical oil painting