Support:
* Wood panels: Primarily poplar wood, often joined together to create larger surfaces. He also used oak and walnut panels.
Ground:
* White gesso: A mixture of chalk, glue, and water applied in multiple layers to create a smooth, white surface on the wood. This prepared the panel for painting.
Paint:
* Tempera: A mixture of pigment and egg yolk, which was the standard painting medium in the Renaissance. It dried quickly and produced vibrant, opaque colors.
* Oil paint: Though oil paints were beginning to be used in Raphael's time, he rarely used them extensively. He might have used them for glazing or highlighting details.
Drawing:
* Red chalk: Used for preliminary sketches and underdrawings, which are visible beneath the paint layers in many of his works.
* Black chalk: Also used for sketches and sometimes for outlining details in the final painting.
Other Materials:
* Gold leaf: Used for decorative elements like halos and backgrounds.
* Azure blue: A bright, intense blue pigment, often used in Raphael's skies and draperies.
* Ultramarine blue: A more expensive blue pigment, also used for skies and draperies.
* Vermilion: A red pigment used for drapery, skin tones, and highlights.
Techniques:
* Layering: Applying layers of paint, often in thin glazes, to build up depth and complexity.
* Sfumato: A technique developed by Leonardo da Vinci, using subtle gradations of color to create soft transitions and atmospheric effects.
* Chiaroscuro: The use of light and shadow to model form and create a sense of volume.
While Raphael was a master of tempera painting, he experimented with different materials and techniques throughout his career. The specific combination of materials and techniques used in each of his paintings varied depending on the subject matter, intended effect, and available resources.