After Da Vinci, Last Supper

[Sunu Tri]

Hi all :)
I wonder if anybody in WetCanvas has tried to do a copy of Da Vinci's Last supper. I'm about to start mine now, sized 100x200cm. But first, I'd like to do some research about the original reference, the colours, technique and everything about this particular painting.
I have already got the very high resolution of the original painting from haltadefinizione.com, but still couldn't define the details of the objects and colours perfectly.
I found that Last supper had been copied by several artists, one of them was byGiampietrino (http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Cena_(Giampietrino)) . His work is very good as a reference but unfortunately it is not complete as a painting (only part of it available).
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http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/03-Oct-2011/952863-01_LS2.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/03-Oct-2011/952863-01_LS.jpg

[Eduardo Flores]

A courageous tentative! I wish good luck to you, due to the complexity of the composition, and the necessity of catching and repeating the special flavor of this masterpiece...

Eduardo

[WFMartin]

Also, the true "original" of this art is a fresco, painted with an entirely different medium, on a wall. I would imagine that "colors" and "techniques" would not be even remotely compatible with oil paint. Color is color, but the technique in oil paint must be greatly different than fresco.

After re-reading your post, I notice that it is, indeed, another oil painting that you wish to copy. That seems to be a bit more possible than copying the true original. Good luck to you with this ambitious undertaking.:thumbsup:

[Sunu Tri]

Thank you Eduardo and Martin. I think I just have to move on with limited resource. A digital reproduction from leonardo3.com shows that the wall of the room has some kind of ornamental design and It's quite a challenge to do this in my reproduction. Unfortunately, the resolution of the image is so low that I could hardly use it. :D

[Sunu Tri]

Some updates, Doing the grisaille. Hope it works :D

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Oct-2011/952863-LS06.jpg
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Oct-2011/952863-LS03.jpg

[Sunu Tri]

More update

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/20-Oct-2011/952863-IMG00897-20111020-2255.jpg

[RedonneMoi]

This is going to be a great painting! :)


Kai

[WFMartin]

Wow....This is quite a project! Looks very good to me. Is this in oil paint? It must be costing you a fortune.

[oCDs01-711]

Blessings upon you and your project. It looks wonderful.

Shirley

[Sunu Tri]

Kai, Martin and Shirley, thanks for the kind comments. Yes it is in oil paint. Doesn't cost so much really, I still use low grade oil paint made in China.

[fxoflight]

Is this in oil paint? It must be costing you a fortune.

Hi there,

Just curious why you would think this? The size of the painting doesn't look all that big to me, and I've seen you use a layered technique before, so I'm sure you're well aware of how oil paint can cover large areas when thinned down a bit. So maybe there's something else that made you think it was costing a lot? As I said, I'm just innocently curious what brought you to that conclusion. You've done plenty of painting so you have experience.

And, to the OP, nice painting!

-fxoflight

[Tony NY]

Also, the true "original" of this art is a fresco, painted with an entirely different medium, on a wall. I would imagine that "colors" and "techniques" would not be even remotely compatible with oil paint. Color is color, but the technique in oil paint must be greatly different than fresco.

Hi Bill,
Just a slight correction. Leonardo painted the Last Supper on a dry wall in the refractory of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan circa 1495-1498. He painted it using some tempera underpainting, then finished with multiple oil paint layers. It is not a fresco. It was not painted on wet plaster with water based pigments as Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling is for example. So our friend Sunu Tri here is indeed copying an oil painting, albeit one done on a wall.
Regards,
Tony

[winecountry]

a mighty challenge on all fronts, and a big one is the perspective. Didn't Dali do a version of this? ( sorry foggy memories at this point in life) if so then maybe that might help you out. The pic in my mind is just part of it but the perspective was super

You are so brave,...good luck

edit, here is the link to the Dali (http://www.wallpaperweb.org/wallpaper/drawing/dali_the-last-supper_27234.htm) he freely adapted, but it's still magnificent, inspiration maybe:)

[Sunu Tri]

Thanks for the comments friends. Dali's works are really amazing!

[valchina612]

Such a lot of work in this, but you are doing very well so far.

Val. :wave:

[kevinwueste]

Hi Bill,
Just a slight correction. Leonardo painted the Last Supper on a dry wall in the refractory of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan circa 1495-1498. He painted it using some tempera underpainting, then finished with multiple oil paint layers. It is not a fresco. It was not painted on wet plaster with water based pigments as Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling is for example. So our friend Sunu Tri here is indeed copying an oil painting, albeit one done on a wall.
Regards,
Tony

Exactly! Having been, and seen the painting in person was quite awe inspiring! Sad that the priests decided to cut Jesus' feet off to make a doorway below the table in the painting from the dining hall ( where this painting is located) into the kitchen! ( not to mention so many hideous attempts to restore the painting! ) A more careful 21 year restoration was completed around 2000 I believe, turning the refectory into a climate-controlled, sealed environment.

KW

[Sunu Tri]

Doing the details on the table.... :envy: :crying:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Nov-2011/952863-IMG00969-20111117-0837.jpg
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Nov-2011/952863-IMG00968-20111117-0836.jpg
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Nov-2011/952863-IMG00967-20111117-0836.jpg

[tommie]

enjoying your progress. Lovely, hard work!

[Sarah Edgecumbe]

WOW

That is a big painting. Congrats, even in this early stage it looks awesome.

I will be subscribing to this thread to see the finished version. Keep at it!

Sarah

[joolee]

Wow - brave project indeed. You are doing really well, so keep going!

Jools

[Artbynan]

Hi,
You have done a great job due to the complexity of this painting!
Well done!!!