Haymaking

surface prep

Prepare a standard oil-primed canvas. While specific ground preparations for this exact work are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques of the period often involved a neutral or toned ground to facilitate the assessment of values and colors (Source 5). Kustodiev’s practice, rooted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, likely adhered to standard academic preparation methods of the time.

underdrawing

Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint (Source 5). As a genre painter, Kustodiev would have focused on capturing the general forms and gestures of the figures engaged in haymaking, rather than rigid linear precision, allowing for the expressive capacity of the oil paint to define the final forms (Source 5).

underpainting

Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish the tonal values of the composition. This step involves mentally extracting the red and yellow colors to focus on the underlying structure and light/shadow relationships (Source 6). This technique allows the artist to resolve the composition’s value structure before introducing color, ensuring that the final glazes and scumbles will harmonize effectively (Source 6).

Simultaneous Contrast

Used to harmonize colors and enhance the visual impact of the painting by leveraging the interaction between adjacent hues.

Glazing and Scumbling

Applied over a dry grisaille underpainting to build up color and transparency, a method practiced by old masters and relevant to Kustodiev’s era.

Fat over Lean

Ensuring that each subsequent layer of paint contains more oil than the previous one to maintain the integrity of the paint film.