plate no. 8914

Chinese Pavilion. Jealous

Alexandre Benois, 1906

gouache, pen, paperArt Nouveau (Modern)genre paintingpavilionwaterfiguresarchitecturenightsky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering atmospheric perspective and capturing the effect of light emanating from a central source. It also provides practice in depicting architectural details and figures in a stylized manner.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the pavilion, figures, and background architecture, paying attention to proportions and perspective.
step 02
Establish the overall color scheme by applying a thin wash of gray for the sky and water.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the pavilion, focusing on the warm glow emanating from within.
step 04
Add details to the architecture, including the windows, railings, and decorative elements.
step 05
Paint the figures, paying attention to their poses and clothing.
step 06
Create the reflections in the water, using vertical strokes and softened edges.
step 07
Add the stars in the sky using small dots of white paint.
step 08
Refine the details and add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · gray · red · black · blue

secondary · white · yellow · brown

Mix various shades of gray by combining black and white. Achieve the warm glow of the pavilion by mixing red and yellow. Use blue and white to create the cool tones in the figures' clothing.

techniques