The sinopia is traced onto a paper cartoon, which is then perforated. The original sinopia is plastered over, the drawing outlined on the wet plaster by charcoal markings through the holes in the cartoon. The fresco is painted.
The Sinopie Museum in Pisa is a rare opportunity to see a large number of sinopie, which were never supposed to have come to light again. The original frescoes are in the nearby Camposanto Cemetery.