plate no. 3216

Box of Apples in Wales

Lucian Freud, 1939

oil, canvasSurrealismstill lifeapplesboxmountainslandscapestill lifesky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and form, as well as understanding atmospheric perspective to depict the background landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the box, apples, and mountains, focusing on proportions and perspective.
step 02
Block in the main color areas for the sky, mountains, box, and apples with thin washes.
step 03
Begin layering colors on the mountains, building up depth and form with darker shadows and lighter highlights.
step 04
Work on the box, paying attention to the wood grain and variations in color and tone.
step 05
Start painting the apples, focusing on their individual shapes and colors, and the way light falls on them.
step 06
Add details to the landscape, such as the small building and the subtle variations in the sky.
step 07
Refine the details of the box and apples, adding highlights and shadows to create a sense of realism.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition, ensuring that the colors and values are balanced.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · sap green · titanium white

secondary · cadmium yellow · raw sienna · ultramarine blue

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Achieve earth tones by mixing burnt umber with yellow ochre and white. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques

·layering
·blending
·dry brushing
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the apples and losing the overall sense of form.
→Not paying enough attention to the perspective of the box, making it look distorted.
→Using colors that are too saturated, resulting in a painting that looks unnatural.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and tone in the landscape, making it look flat.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt umber, sap green, titanium white, cadmium yellow, raw sienna, ultramarine blue)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·rags