plate no. 6361

Flowers in a Turquoise Vase

Odilon Redon, 1912

oil, canvasRealismflower paintingflowersvasestill lifefoliagebackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing, layering, and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in capturing the form and volume of a vase and a complex floral arrangement.

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 vase and the overall floral arrangement.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of background color, using a mix of blues, greens, and whites.
step 03
Block in the main colors of the vase, focusing on the overall turquoise hue and subtle variations in tone.
step 04
Begin layering in the colors of the flowers, starting with the darker tones and gradually adding lighter highlights.
step 05
Use short, broken brushstrokes to create texture and visual interest in the flowers and foliage.
step 06
Add details to the flowers, such as petals, centers, and stems.
step 07
Refine the background, adding subtle variations in color and texture.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the form and volume of the vase and flowers.

color palette

primary · turquoise · red · purple · green

secondary · yellow · white · blue

Achieve the turquoise vase color by mixing blue and green with a touch of white. Create the flower colors by mixing various combinations of red, purple, yellow, and white.

techniques