plate no. 7628
Front of Villarreal de Álava
Carlos Saenz de Tejada, 1938
recreation guide
Front of Villarreal de Álava (1938) by Carlos Saenz de Tejada is a work of Social Realism, a style that often depicts aspects of everyday life and ordinary people, aligning with the tradition of genre painting (Source 5). While specific visual details of this particular canvas are not described in the provided sources, the artist’s practice in 1938 Spain would likely adhere to the rigorous material standards of oil painting. The work is executed in oil, a medium that requires a deep understanding of its capacities to avoid mere illusionism and instead achieve vital expression (Source 6). The painting likely employs a palette grounded in substantial, fixed earths and ochres, which offer covering power and easy drying, consistent with the practical advice for oil painters of the era (Source 1).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
4 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Earth tones, Ochres, Umbers, Whites, Blacks) | Primary medium for the painting, chosen for their fixedness and covering qualities. | Standard tube oil paints (e.g., Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Titanium White, Ivory Black) |
| Linseed Oil or Oil of Copavia | Medium for mixing paints, particularly for glazing and scumbling techniques. | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Canvas or Panel | Support for the oil paint. | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Varnish | For final glazing layers or protection, if following the old master technique of mixing varnish with oil for mastery. | Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint without absorbing too much medium, ensuring the 'vital qualities' of the medium are preserved (Source 6). While specific priming methods for Saenz de Tejada are not detailed, standard practice for oil painting involves a stable ground that allows for the layering techniques described in the sources, such as glazing over a dry underpainting (Source 2).
underdrawing
The sources do not specify Saenz de Tejada’s underdrawing method. However, given the emphasis on oil paint’s capacity for illusion and expression, a light, non-greasy underdrawing is recommended to establish composition without interfering with the subsequent color layers (Source 6).
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) is recommended. The artist should mentally extract red and yellow colors, painting the forms in neutral tones to establish value and structure. This layer must be completely dry before proceeding (Source 2).
color palette
Yellow Ochre
Natural ochre
General use in this artist's palette; essential for earth tones and broken tones (Source 1).
Red Ochre / Burnt Sienna
Natural or burnt ochre
General use in this artist's palette; provides warmth and depth (Source 1).
White Lead / Titanium White
Chalk white or white lead derivatives
Highlights and mixing; ancient artists used chalk white (Source 1).
Black
Ivory black or vine black
Shadows and contrast; prepared from combustion of bodies like ivory or grapestone (Source 1).
Ultramarine
Lapis lazuli or synthetic ultramarine
General use; mentioned in Reynolds’ method for initial paintings (Source 2).
composition
As a genre painting, the composition likely focuses on ordinary subjects or landscapes without specific historical or portrait identities (Source 5). The artist may have employed principles of simultaneous contrast to harmonize colors inherent to the objects represented, ensuring that contiguous colors modify each other appropriately (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition lightly on the prepared surface, focusing on the essential forms and values.
Tip — Keep the drawing minimal to allow the oil paint to express its own vitality (Source 6).
Underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, white, and possibly ultramarine, excluding red and yellow tones.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding to avoid chemical reactions or muddiness (Source 2).
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Apply glazes of transparent color, particularly red and yellow tones, over the dry grisaille.
Tip — Use oil as a medium initially; this mimics tinting an engraving with watercolors (Source 2).
Glazing
refining
step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones and create coldness or grey blooms where needed.
Tip — Scumbling over darker grounds tends to produce coldness; use this to enhance atmospheric effects (Source 2).
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Refine details and ensure color harmony by considering simultaneous contrast between adjacent areas.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may perceive colors inaccurately due to mixed contrast; adjust hues to compensate (Source 3).
Simultaneous Contrast
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Used to build up color and tone over a dry monochrome underpainting, a method practiced by old masters and recommended for achieving mastery (Source 2).
Simultaneous Contrast
Applied to harmonize colors and accurately perceive modifications of light and color on the model, preventing visual fatigue and inaccuracy (Source 3).
Use of Earths and Ochres
Preferred for their fixedness, covering power, and ease of drying, avoiding the prejudice against traditional pigments (Source 1).
common pitfalls
- →Using a theoretical palette exclusively, which may lead to chemical reactions or impractical results (Source 1).
- →Failing to let the grisaille underpainting dry completely before glazing, which can ruin the transparency and integrity of the layers (Source 2).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmony in the final composition (Source 3).
- →Attempting to deceive the eye with mere illusionism rather than expressing the vitality of the medium (Source 6).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific visual details of Front of Villarreal de Álava (e.g., exact composition, figures, landscape elements) are not described in the sources.
- ·Carlos Saenz de Tejada’s specific personal palette or unique technical deviations from standard oil painting practices are not detailed.
- ·The exact ground preparation method used by the artist for this specific work is unknown.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Selection of pigments (earths, ochres) and avoidance of impractical theoretical palettes.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Techniques of grisaille, glazing, and scumbling.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it — applied to Application of simultaneous contrast for color harmony and accuracy.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of using oil paint for expression rather than mere illusion.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Genre painting — part 1 — applied to Contextualizing the artwork as a genre painting depicting everyday life.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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