plate no. 0143

Buttercups

Lucian Freud, 1968

oil, canvasContemporary Realismflower paintingflowersbuttercupsstill lifemugsinkfoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in observing subtle color variations and rendering complex floral arrangements with accurate values. It also provides practice in depicting reflective surfaces and creating a sense of depth through layering.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition, focusing on the placement of the mug and the general shape of the flower arrangement.
step 02
Block in the background with thin washes of muted greens and grays, paying attention to the subtle shifts in tone.
step 03
Establish the basic shapes and values of the mug, using a limited palette of whites, grays, and blacks.
step 04
Begin layering in the foliage, focusing on the darker greens and browns to create depth and structure.
step 05
Start adding the buttercups, working from the back to the front and varying the size, shape, and color of each flower.
step 06
Introduce the other flowers and foliage, paying attention to their unique shapes and textures.
step 07
Refine the details of the mug, adding highlights and shadows to create a sense of volume.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors, values, and edges to create a cohesive and realistic painting.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · sap green · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue

Achieve the various greens by mixing sap green with raw umber and titanium white. Create the yellows by mixing yellow ochre with varying amounts of titanium white. Use alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue to create the purplish tones in some of the flowers.

techniques

·layering
·blending
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·observational drawing

common pitfalls

→Overtly bright yellows; mix with raw umber to tone down.
→Losing the structure of the flower arrangement by focusing too much on individual flowers.
→Creating a flat, lifeless background by neglecting subtle value shifts.
→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the painting.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (yellow ochre, titanium white, raw umber, sap green, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife
·rags