plate no. 6693

Flowers

Christopher Wood, 1930

oilPost-Impressionismflower paintingflowersvasestill lifetable

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in loose brushwork and color mixing to create a sense of depth and form. It also provides practice in capturing the essence of a subject rather than precise realism.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the outline of the vase and the general shapes of the flowers.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin wash of grey, using horizontal brushstrokes.
step 03
Establish the main colors of the flowers: yellow for daffodils, red for poppies, white and pink for anemones.
step 04
Add darker values to the centers of the flowers and the shadows within the petals.
step 05
Paint the vase with loose, vertical strokes of green, brown, and grey to suggest transparency.
step 06
Add details to the stems and leaves, using darker greens and browns.
step 07
Refine the shapes of the flowers and the vase, paying attention to the negative space around them.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · cadmium red · titanium white

secondary · sap green · burnt umber · ultramarine blue

Mix white with small amounts of blue and umber for the background. Use yellow ochre and a touch of red for the daffodils. Mix red with a touch of umber for the poppies. Use white with a touch of pink or purple for the anemones.

techniques