plate no. 0585

Dustbins in the Studio

John Bratby, 1954

oilExpressionisminteriorinteriordustbinsstudiochaireaselcontainers

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and capturing form with loose, gestural strokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and composition of the scene, focusing on the placement of the major objects.
step 02
Block in the darkest areas of the painting with a dark brown or black.
step 03
Establish the mid-tones, using a mix of browns, blues, and grays.
step 04
Begin adding the highlights with thicker, more textured brushstrokes.
step 05
Develop the forms of the objects by layering colors and values, paying attention to the direction of light.
step 06
Add details such as the lines on the dustbins and the structure of the easel.
step 07
Refine the edges and shapes of the objects, using both hard and soft edges to create depth.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to bring the painting to life.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

Achieve the various grays and browns by mixing the primary colors with white. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna to create warmer tones for the easel and some of the containers.

techniques

·expressive brushwork
·layering
·scumbling
·impasto
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Getting bogged down in details too early in the process.
→Not establishing a strong value structure.
→Using too much detail in the background

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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