From Sketch to Glaze: How to Recreate Famous Biblical Art with Acrylics

/ Real Time Tutorial Video Tutorial
/ By Matt Philleo

Bring biblical stories to life: layering and glazing techniques explained

In this tutorial, I’ll be walking you through the process of creating two iconic biblical paintings: Elijah and Elisha and the Loaves & Fishes. These are pieces I have painted before, but due to a client request, I’ll be recreating them using fresh techniques and perspectives. Artists may hesitate to replicate the same image, but it is a joy to recreate a beloved scene for a client, ensuring each iteration remains unique. In this post, you’ll learn how to use acrylic glazing techniques to add depth, warmth, and realism to your artwork.

Let’s get started by laying out the steps for this process, the following materials you’ll need, and some key painting tips.

Materials Needed

Acrylic paints: Burnt sienna, raw umber dark, ultramarine blue, phthalo blue, alizarine crimson, organic red orange, Indian yellow, and titanium white.
Matte medium: Used to thin out the paint for glazing.
Bristle brushes: Various sizes for large and small details.
Prismacolor pencils: For sketching (e.g., Burnt Ochre or Terracotta).
Reference photos: Use clear photo references to accurately capture details and lighting.

Step 1: Sketching the Scene with Prismacolor Pencils

When I start my paintings with a detailed sketch. In this case, I used prismacolor pencils (Terracotta or burnt ochre) to outline the main elements of both the Elijah and Elisha and Loaves & Fishes scenes. Sketching with colored pencils, instead of graphite, provides a better match for the painting, giving warmth and depth from the start.

Tip: Using colored pencils allows for easy erasure and smoother blending with your acrylic layers.

Step 2: Applying the First Glaze

The magic of acrylic glazing begins with applying thin layers of paint mixed with matte medium. Because in Loaves & Fishes painting, I started with a burnt sienna glaze. Then this color, a reddish-brown, is perfect for creating warm tones that reflect the natural lighting in the scene.

Mix the glaze: So I use a small amount of burnt sienna and mix it thoroughly with matte medium. The ratio should be about 1:4 (paint to medium).
Apply to canvas: Then gently apply this glaze in areas that need warm underpainting, like the background and parts of the basket.

Step 3: Blocking in Major Areas

Blocking is an essential step where you fill in large areas of your painting with color and value. In this case, I blocked in the background and began working on the fish and bread in the loaves & fishes painting. These areas need to be lighter, as the fish are illuminated by sunlight.

Use a larger brush: A broad bristle brush will help you cover large areas quickly.
Add shadows: Start building shadows using darker tones such as raw umber and burnt sienna.

Tip: Make sure to let each glaze dry before applying the next layer. Because this will give you more control over the depth and intensity of the colors.

Step 4: Enhancing Detail with Subsequent Glazes

Once the base layers are dry, you can begin refining the painting with more targeted glazing. For example, the basket in the Loaves & Fishes scene needs more dimension, so I applied several thin glazes of burnt sienna mixed with ultramarine blue to create the shadowed areas.

Use finer brushes: Switch to smaller brushes to work on detailed areas like the fish scales, the texture of the bread, or the folds in Elijah’s and Elisha’s garments.
Blending: Smooth out the transitions between highlights and shadows using a soft, dry brush to blend the edges of the glazes.

Step 5: Refining Textures

Textures bring realism to your painting. The basket in the Loaves & Fishes scene has a woven texture, and the Prophets’ robes have intricate fabric folds that need to be highlighted.

How to Add Texture:

Fish scales: Mix titanium white with a small amount of alizarine crimson to highlight the scales of the fish. Use a fine detail brush to gently stipple the highlights.
Basket weave: Use a dry brushing technique to create the appearance of woven strands in the basket.
Fabric folds: Apply a mix of burnt sienna and raw umber for shadowed areas, and then a lighter mix of titanium white and indian yellow for the highlights on the garments.

Step 6: Bringing the Painting to Life

The final step in the painting process is adding those last, crucial details that bring the painting to life. These details include refining the lighting, adding highlights to key areas, and making sure the overall composition is balanced.

Highlight the fish: The fish in the Loaves & Fishes painting catch sunlight, so I applied light touches of titanium white on the scales.
Subtle highlights: Use a very fine brush to add small touches of light to the faces of Elijah and Elisha. Because this brings focus to their expressions and adds to the spiritual depth of the painting.

Tips for Success

Use matte medium: Glazing with matte medium instead of water helps keep the colors vibrant and prevents the layers from becoming too translucent.
Work simultaneously on two paintings: While one painting is drying, you can move on to another. This helps keep your workflow efficient.
Don’t be afraid to go bold: Use strong colors like alizarine crimson or ultramarine blue in your glazes to add depth and vibrancy to your work.

Recreating Elijah and Elisha and The Loaves & Fishes scenes using the acrylic glazing technique has allowed me to explore new ways of adding depth and realism to my paintings. Each layer builds on the last, creating a complex yet harmonious image. Through patience and careful attention to detail, you can achieve striking results that capture both the essence of the biblical story and the vibrancy of the medium.

With the right techniques and tools, anyone can bring their own interpretations of timeless stories to life on canvas.

Read more about my additional resources, tutorials, to learn more and check out my free courses here. . Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, there’s always something new to learn and apply to your paintings. Happy painting!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this tutorial and watch the video. That means a lot to me. I hope you find it very helpful in your portrait painting.

Yours for Better Portraits,

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