plate no. 3081

A spanish church

oilArt Nouveau (Modern)illustrationchurcharchitecturefiguresarchwaybuildinghistorical

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses the painting of 'A Spanish Church' by Carlos Saenz de Tejada, an oil work classified under Art Nouveau (Modern) illustration. While specific visual details of this particular composition are not described in the provided sources, the technique relies on established oil painting practices relevant to the period and medium. The process emphasizes the separation of tonal structure from color application, a method championed by old masters and described in historical treatises on oil painting. The artist likely employed a grisaille underpainting to establish form and light, followed by transparent glazes and semi-opaque scumbles to introduce the red and yellow tones characteristic of the subject's atmosphere. This approach allows for the rich, dense color and flexibility inherent to oil painting, avoiding the flatness that can result from mixing all colors on the palette.

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions (allowing for drying times between glaze layers)

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Linseed oil or Poppy seed oil	Primary binder for pigments; provides flexibility and rich color density.	Refined linseed oil or cold-pressed poppy oil
Turpentine	Thinner for initial layers and cleaning; helps control viscosity.	Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine
Oil of Copavia (or Dammar varnish)	Medium for the first and second paintings to ensure proper drying and gloss, as cited in Reynolds' method.	Dammar varnish mixed with oil
Ultramarine, Black, White	Core pigments for the monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish tone without color interference.	Ultramarine Blue, Ivory Black, Titanium White
Red and Yellow earth pigments (e.g., Ochre, Sienna, Vermilion)	Applied as glazes and scumbles to introduce warmth and local color after the tonal structure is dry.	Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red
Canvas or Wood Panel	Support for the oil paint.	Primed linen canvas or gessoed wood panel

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support such as a wood panel or tightly stretched canvas. Given the Art Nouveau context and the potential for detailed illustration, a smooth ground is preferable. Apply a traditional oil ground or a modern acrylic gesso to seal the support. The sources suggest that old masters often worked on wood panels, which provide a stable surface for the layering techniques described (Source 3).

underdrawing

Sketch the composition lightly with charcoal or thinned oil paint. Focus on the main structural lines and the arrangement of light and shade (chiaroscuro), particularly if the scene includes architectural elements typical of Spanish churches. As suggested by general compositional hints, visualize the scene and mark the placement of key structural masses before applying paint (Source 2).

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using only black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia or a similar medium. This step establishes the full tonal range of the painting, from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights, effectively 'extracting' the red and yellow colors to focus purely on form and light (Source 1). This method is consistent with the practice of old masters and allows for greater control over the final color application.

color palette

Ultramarine/Black/White

Ultramarine blue, Ivory black, Titanium white

Grisaille underpainting to establish tone and form.

Red/Yellow Tones

Vermilion, Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce local color and warmth.

Grey Bloom

Scumbled grey over darker ground

Creating coldness or atmospheric effects, particularly in shadows or distant architectural elements.

composition

While specific details of 'A Spanish Church' are not provided, the artist likely adhered to principles of arranging light and shade to create depth. In Spanish and Dutch pictures, fine technical qualities in chiaroscuro are noted as essential for beauty (Source 2). The composition should balance the structural lines of the church architecture with any potential figures or accessories, ensuring that the arrangement of color masses supports the overall pictorial harmony. If figures are present, their placement should follow the rule of leaving greater space in front of the face than behind if looking to the side, and positioning heads high up in the canvas (Source 2).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the main structural lines of the church and any figures, focusing on the arrangement of light and shade.
Tip — Ensure the composition balances the architectural masses with any human elements.
Chiaroscuro planning

underpainting

step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia. Paint the entire scene in monochrome, establishing all values from dark to light.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors; focus solely on tonal accuracy.
Grisaille

first pass

step 04
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the grisaille. Use oil as a medium initially.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying painting to show through, enriching the tone.
Glazing

drying

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This may take several days to weeks depending on thickness and environment.
Tip — Do not proceed to glazing until the underpainting is hard to the touch to avoid muddying the tones.
Layer drying

refining

step 05
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly to create grey blooms or coldness over darker grounds.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt while modifying the surface color.
Scumbling

finishing

step 06
Refine details and adjust color contrasts. If necessary, mix varnish and oil for later glazes to gain mastery over the finish.
Tip — Be cautious with varnish mixtures; ensure proper ventilation and drying times.
Varnish glazing

critical techniques

Glazing

A transparent coat of color applied over a dry underpainting to enrich tone and color without obscuring the form. Essential for achieving the luminous quality of old master techniques.

Scumbling

A semi-opaque painting technique used to modify the underlying tone, often creating a grey bloom or coldness when applied over darker grounds.

Grisaille Underpainting

Establishing the full tonal range using only black, ultramarine, and white before introducing color. This separates the problem of value from the problem of hue.

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the grisaille is completely dry, which can lift the underpainting and muddy the colors.
→Mixing red and yellow into the underpainting, which defeats the purpose of the monochrome structure and reduces the luminosity of the final glazes.
→Overworking the scumbles, which can destroy the transparency and depth achieved by the glazing process.
→Ignoring the contrast of tone, which is crucial for producing chiaroscuro and visual gradation (Source 8).

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 visual details of 'A Spanish Church' (e.g., exact architectural style, presence of figures, specific lighting conditions) are not described in the sources.
·Carlos Saenz de Tejada's specific personal habits or deviations from general Art Nouveau practices are not detailed in the provided texts.
·The exact dimensions of the artwork are not available, which affects the scale of brushwork and detail.

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 underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques.
- HINTS ON ARRANGEMENT — applied to Compositional planning and chiaroscuro analysis.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Chiaro-scuro and Contrast — applied to Understanding tonal gradation and color interaction.