Don't start painting until everything is within arm's reach. Once your hands have paint on them, you don't want to be searching for a brush or a rag. Treat this like surgery prep — everything laid out, clean, ready. Check off each item below as you gather it.
For highlights and fire-glow sky. Used sparingly on the figure — Frazetta's paintings are dark. Most white goes into the burning sky behind the figure.
Warm foundation for lit skin. Mixed with orange for the firelit flesh tones. Like the colour of gold coins.
THE Frazetta colour. The fire. The backlight. The burning sky. Like a glowing ember. Your most important chromatic pigment.
For blood, fire centres, and the deepest warm accents. Mixed with orange for the hottest fire glow. Like molten lava.
Warm golden-brown. The mid-tone skin colour in firelight. Warmer than Rembrandt's palette. Like the colour of burnished bronze.
Workhorse dark. For the initial wash, shadow masses. Fast drying. Like dark coffee grounds.
Cooler shadow edges. The deepest background voids. Mixed with black for the coldest darks behind the action.
For the deepest voids. More black than Rembrandt but less than Caravaggio. Frazetta's dark is oily rich, not absolute void.
Bigger brushes than any other master. Frazetta painted FAST. Big bold strokes. Hold at the very end of the handle. Swing from the shoulder. Like a sword — momentum, not precision.
For modelling the figure. Still confident and bold. No fussy detail until the very end.
For the final 5%: eyes, teeth, weapon edges, specular highlights. This brush does the finishing work after 95% bold brushwork.
For mixing and for applying the sky fire. Frazetta sometimes used the knife to smear the burning sky in one dramatic sweep.
Frazetta painted on smooth Masonite, not canvas. Gesso both sides to prevent warping. Sand smooth between coats. The smooth surface allows both fast blocking and precise detail. Like a skateboard ramp — smooth, fast, no friction.
For the initial dark wash and brush cleaning. Frazetta worked lean — thin washes for dark, thicker paint for light. Like thinning sauce for a base coat.
Standard supplies. You will go through rags fast — Frazetta painted fast and wiped brushes constantly between bold strokes.
Upload your photo. Click Frazetta. Fire-orange backlight, oily shadows, dramatic rim light. Place next to your board.
A4 PDF with your ticks. Save it, share it, or print it.
Easel or table? An easel is ideal — it keeps the canvas at eye level and lets you step back easily. But a table works fine if you prop the canvas at a slight angle.
Lighting is critical for Caravaggio. You need a warm-toned light behind and slightly below your canvas — simulating fire light. A warm desk lamp behind you casting light toward the canvas works. Frazetta's light comes from BEHIND the figure, not in front — a desk lamp, clamp light, or single window with all other curtains closed. Dim the room. Not pitch black like Caravaggio, but dark enough to feel the drama. The warm backlight should dominate. You are recreating Frazetta's actual studio: fire-orange backlight with a dark room. If you can see a warm orange glow across the room — like firelight, you have the right setup.
How to hold your brush. Not squeezed tight like a pen. Grip it in the middle of the handle — like holding a conductor's baton. For bold strokes, move your whole arm from the shoulder. Your wrist does detail work. Your shoulder does confidence. If your hand cramps, you are gripping too hard. Relax. The brush does the work, not your muscles.
Lighting. Natural daylight from a window is best. If painting at night, use a daylight-balanced bulb (5000-6500K) positioned to your left. Never paint under warm yellow tungsten light — it shifts all your colour decisions warm, and the painting looks wrong in daylight.
Your device. Place your phone or tablet where you can see the VOLUX reference. Prop it 30-60cm from your painting spot, screen facing you.
Choose only one master — Nature.
Attributed to Rembrandt van RijnEach step expands when you tap it. Take as long as you need, and move on only when you're satisfied with your work.