plate no. 0883
A Bornean Crinum
Marianne North, 1876
recreation guide
Marianne North’s 'A Bornean Crinum' (1876) is a quintessential example of 19th-century botanical naturalism, characterized by its scientific accuracy and detailed rendering of floral structures. North’s practice involved painting directly from life during her extensive travels, resulting in works that serve as both artistic achievements and botanical records. The painting likely employs traditional oil painting techniques common to the period, including layering and glazing to achieve depth and translucency in the petals and leaves. The composition focuses on the plant’s form and color without decorative abstraction, adhering to the realist tradition where the subject’s truth is paramount.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
8 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas or panel | Support for the painting | Linen canvas primed with gesso |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | Initial sketching of the subject | Vine charcoal or diluted oil paint |
| Oil paints | Primary medium for color application | Artist-grade oil paints |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and adjust drying time | Refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent for thinning paint and cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits |
| Paintbrushes | Application of paint | Hog bristle and sable brushes |
| Palette knife | Mixing paint and potential scraping/correction | Flexible palette knife |
| Rags | Cleaning brushes and removing wet paint | Lint-free cotton rags |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific details of North’s ground preparation are not provided in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques often involve a primed canvas or panel to ensure proper adhesion and stability of the paint film (Source 1).
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1). For a botanical study like this, a precise underdrawing is likely essential to capture the accurate proportions and details of the Crinum plant.
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) may be employed to establish values before applying color. This technique involves painting in neutral tones to define light and shadow, which can later be glazed with transparent colors (Source 2). This method allows for greater control over the final color effects and depth.
color palette
Green
Various greens for leaves
General use in botanical painting
White/Cream
White pigment with subtle tints
Petals of the Crinum
Yellow/Red tones
Yellow and red pigments for glazing
Adding warmth and depth to the flowers, as per glazing techniques (Source 2)
Dark tones
Black, ultramarine, or dark greens
Shadows and background, consistent with the 'fat over lean' rule and value establishment (Source 1, Source 2)
composition
The composition likely emphasizes the natural form of the plant, with attention to the arrangement of lines and spaces. While specific compositional moves for this artwork are not detailed in the sources, flower compositions often aim to create a harmonious whole where lines and areas are related to each other (Source 4). The focus is on realistic rendering rather than abstract design, consistent with North’s botanical intent.
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the Crinum plant onto the prepared surface using charcoal or thinned paint, focusing on accurate proportions and details.
Tip — Ensure the drawing is precise, as it will guide the subsequent layers of paint.
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish the values and forms of the plant. Use neutral tones to define light and shadow.
Tip — Allow this layer to dry completely before proceeding to color application.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Begin applying color using thin layers of oil paint mixed with solvents. Follow the 'fat over lean' rule, ensuring each layer contains more oil than the previous one.
Tip — Use brushes to apply paint, adjusting consistency with linseed oil or mineral spirits as needed.
Fat over lean
refining
step 04
Glaze and scumble to add depth and translucency. Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to enhance the realism of the petals and leaves.
Tip — Glazing can be done with oil or a mix of varnish and oil, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Glazing and scumbling
finishing
step 05
Refine details and adjust colors as needed. Oil paint remains wet longer than other materials, allowing for changes in color, texture, or form.
Tip — If necessary, remove wet paint with a rag and turpentine or scrape off hardened layers with a palette knife.
Wet-on-wet adjustment
varnishing
step 06
Once the painting is completely dry (usually within two weeks), apply a varnish to protect the surface and enhance the sheen.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry to avoid trapping solvents, which could lead to cracking.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Fat over lean
Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking. This is a basic rule of oil paint application.
Glazing
Applying a transparent coat of color to enhance depth and luminosity. This technique was commonly used by old masters and can be applied with oil or a mix of varnish and oil.
Scumbling
Applying a semi-opaque layer of paint over a darker ground to create texture and subtle color variations, such as a grey bloom.
common pitfalls
- →Applying layers with less oil than the previous layer, which can lead to cracking and peeling of the paint film (Source 1).
- →Insufficient drying time between layers, which can cause mixing of wet paint and loss of detail.
- →Overworking the paint while wet, which can muddy colors and lose the crispness of botanical details.
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific pigments used by Marianne North for this painting are not detailed in the sources.
- ·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the original artwork are not provided.
- ·Details about the background treatment (e.g., plain vs. textured) are not specified in the sources.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille, glazing, scumbling techniques
Composition — FLOWER COMPOSITIONS TWO VALUES↗
- Flower Compositions — applied to General compositional principles for floral subjects
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Underdrawing, fat over lean rule, paint removal, drying time
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Nesebar
Felix Philipp Kanitz
View of the city of Nettuno at dawn with fishing boats
Giovanni (Nino) Costa
Koriten Fortress
Felix Philipp Kanitz
A London Jo - the End of the Day
Augustus Edwin Mulready
Chestnut trees in the autumn in Antagnes, Switzerland
Hubertine Heijermans
Avenue of Indian Rubber Trees at Peradeniya, Ceylon
Marianne North
Paisaje Con Río
José Santiago Garnelo y Alda
An Oysterman
William Henry Hunt