plate no. 5182
How now - said Scrooge, caustic and cold as ever
what to study here
It shows how crisp versus dissolved edges, and one concentrated light zone against warm mid-values, can make a figure read as supernatural.
Study how value and edge control separate two figures in one warm interior. The ghost carries the lightest values: face, hands and upper torso are near white with a warm cast. Its face and raised arm have crisp edges, while the drapery softens and blurs, which reads as transparency and movement. The seated woman in red sits in softer shadow and takes secondary light on her lap and shoulders. Her robe moves from orange-red highlights to browns and cooler tones in the shadow folds, so it should not be treated as one flat red. The ochre wall is brushed in directional strokes that follow the wall plane. The doorway and mantelpiece stay soft and subordinate. Most of the picture sits in the middle values, with the darkest darks held to the ghost's clothing folds and the edges of furniture and doorway. Copy the hand and gesture first, since it is the most articulated area and it leads the eye leftward and upward. Then check how little the background competes with it.
key decision
The painter gave the ghost's face and raised arm crisp edges and near-white values, while letting the drapery blur. The figure reads as both solid and see-through against the warm ochre wall.
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses the oil painting technique associated with Arthur Rackham’s illustration style, specifically focusing on the layering methods described in historical oil painting manuals. While the specific visual details of 'How now - said Scrooge' are not described in the provided sources, the process relies on the traditional 'old master' approach of building color through glazing and scumbling over a monochrome underpainting. This method allows for the luminous, transparent effects characteristic of high-quality oil illustration from the Art Nouveau period, where the underlying structure is established in neutral tones before color is introduced.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 6-8 sessions (allowing for drying times between layers)
materials
9 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas or panel | Support for the painting | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Charcoal | Initial sketching and underdrawing | Vine charcoal or compressed charcoal |
| Raw Umber | Underpainting and initial tonal modeling | Raw Umber oil paint |
| White (soft white) | Highlighting and mixing in underpainting | Titanium White or Lead White (historical) |
| Turpentine | Thinner for initial layers and cleaning | Odorless mineral spirits or Gamsol |
| Linseed Oil | Medium for glazing and scumbling layers | Refined linseed oil |
| Oil of Copavia (or Dammar Varnish) | Medium for first and second paintings to ensure proper drying and gloss | Dammar varnish mixed with linseed oil |
| Black, Ultramarine, White | Creating the grisaille (monochrome) underpainting | Ivory Black, Ultramarine Blue, White |
| Red and Yellow tones | Glazing and scumbling to add color | Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow, or similar transparent oils |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming instructions for Rackham are not in the sources, traditional oil painting requires a stable ground. The sources imply a process where the painting is built up in layers, so the ground must be smooth enough to allow for fine detail but absorbent enough to hold the initial charcoal sketch (Source 2).
underdrawing
Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal (Source 2). Do not hesitate to hold your brush or measuring tool against the model (or reference) to ascertain proportions, making the study slightly smaller than life if applicable (Source 3). Make all corrections in the charcoal stage, as charcoal offers little resistance to a brush and none to bread erasers (Source 3). It is reckless to put down paint with obvious errors in construction (Source 3).
underpainting
Create a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia (or a similar resinous medium) (Source 1). This layer establishes the values and forms without color. The goal is to mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if those colors were not present (Source 1). This preparation should be quite dry before proceeding (Source 1).
color palette
Black
Ivory Black or Lamp Black
Grisaille underpainting for shadows and depth
Ultramarine
Ultramarine Blue
Grisaille underpainting for cool shadows and mid-tones
White
Lead White or Titanium White
Grisaille highlights and mixing with other colors
Raw Umber
Raw Umber
Initial painting from life, mixed with white and turpentine for tonal modeling (Source 3)
Red Tones
Transparent reds (e.g., Alizarin)
Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and flesh tones
Yellow Tones
Transparent yellows (e.g., Yellow Ochre or Cadmium)
Glazing and scumbling to add light and warmth
composition
The sources do not describe the specific composition of 'How now - said Scrooge'. However, general principles suggest harmonizing colors inherent to the objects and perceiving modifications of light on the model (Source 5). The artist should be aware of simultaneous contrast, where colors appear different due to adjacent hues, and adjust tones accordingly (Source 5).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the subject with charcoal, ensuring accurate proportions and correcting any errors before applying paint.
Tip — Use bread to erase charcoal if needed; do not paint over errors.
Charcoal sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a grisaille layer using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish all values and forms.
Tip — Mentally exclude red and yellow colors to focus on value structure.
Grisaille
first pass
step 04
Begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to introduce red and yellow tones.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque, allowing the underpainting to show through.
Glazing and Scumbling
drying
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely.
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation, usually within two weeks, but wait until fully hard.
Oxidation drying
refining
step 05
Continue layering colors, adhering to the 'fat over lean' rule. Each subsequent layer should contain more oil than the previous one.
Tip — If layers contain less oil, the painting may crack and peel.
Fat over lean
finishing
step 06
Refine details and adjust tones. Use varnish and oil mixed for later stages if mastery is gained.
Tip — Be aware of simultaneous contrast; colors may appear different due to adjacent hues.
Varnish glazing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and luminosity. Used to add red and yellow tones after the grisaille is dry.
Scumbling
Applying a semi-opaque layer of paint through which the underlying painting shows. Often used over darker grounds to create a grey bloom or coldness.
Fat over Lean
Ensuring each additional layer of paint contains more oil than the layer below to prevent cracking and peeling.
Grisaille
Creating a monochrome underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values before adding color.
common pitfalls
- →Painting over errors in the charcoal stage, which leads to fatal corrections in paint and loss of lucidity (Source 3).
- →Violating the 'fat over lean' rule, causing the paint film to crack and peel (Source 2).
- →Applying color before the grisaille is completely dry, which can muddy the layers (Source 1).
- →Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and application (Source 5).
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 'How now - said Scrooge' (e.g., Scrooge's expression, clothing, background elements) are not described in the sources.
- ·Arthur Rackham's specific personal palette preferences beyond general oil painting practices are not detailed.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, limiting precise historical context for material availability.
- ·Specific brush types or sizes used by Rackham are not mentioned.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, scumbling, and medium usage
- PAINTING FROM LIFE — applied to Underdrawing with charcoal, correcting errors, and initial tonal modeling
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color perception, simultaneous contrast, and harmonizing colors
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to General oil painting techniques, fat over lean rule, drying times, and materials
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
read from the painting
observed from the image, not the label6 dominant colors, measured
what the eye sees
Light pours from the upper left, casting the standing ghost figure into sharp relief against a warm ochre wall while the seated figure in red remains in softer shadow. The ghost's raised arm and angular pose immediately draw the eye leftward and upward, creating dynamic tension across the composition. The seated woman anchors the right side, her crimson robe a warm counterpoint to the ghost's pale, greenish cast. Depth recedes into a doorway and mantelpiece visible center-background, with warm walls and shadows creating an intimate interior space.
value structure
The lightest lights are the ghost's face, hands, and upper torso—nearly white with subtle warm undertones. Mid-values dominate: the golden ochre walls and the woman's reddish-brown clothing occupy the middle register. The darkest darks appear in the ghost's clothing folds (deep greens and grays) and the shadowed edges of furniture and doorway. Squinting reveals two distinct light zones: the glowing ghost figure against warmer background, and the seated woman catching secondary light on her lap and shoulders.
observed palette and mixes
#f8d598
Lead white + raw sienna + touch of cadmium yellow
Ghost's face, neck, and exposed hands—the brightest highlights establishing supernatural pallor
#e6bc77
Raw sienna + lead white + ochre
Upper wall and background, creating warm atmospheric glow around the ghost
#bf9359
Raw sienna + burnt sienna + lead white
Woman's crimson robe shadows and middle tones; woodwork and furniture
#bb6940
Alizarin crimson + burnt sienna + raw sienna
The woman's robe fabric, particularly where it catches light on her lap and sleeve
#8a5e33
Burnt sienna + ultramarine blue + ivory black
Deep shadow folds in the ghost's clothing; darkened wall edges and doorway recession
#804123
Burnt umber + alizarin + touch of ultramarine
Darkest accents in shadow areas, floorboards, and interior depth cues
edges and brushwork
The ghost's form is rendered with crisp, defined edges on the face and raised arm to emphasize its otherworldly materiality, while drapery folds dissolve into softer, blurred edges suggesting transparency and movement. The woman's figure uses firmer edges on her robe's silhouette but looser, feathered strokes within fabric folds. Background walls are handled with directional ochre strokes that follow the wall plane, while foreground details receive more articulated, careful brushwork—notice the precise delineation of fingers and facial features versus the atmospheric blur of the mantelpiece.
a working sequence
- 01
Establish the warm ground and light direction
Thin an ochre-sienna mix (#e6bc77) with medium and block in the entire background wall and upper area with loose, directional strokes following the vertical plane. Leave the ghost figure's area slightly lighter. This establishes that warm, atmospheric glow that unifies the scene.
- 02
Map the two figures' major masses
Using your #bf9359 mix, loosely indicate the woman's seated silhouette on the right—her robe's bulk and the chair back. Separately, sketch the ghost's vertical stance on the left with a pale wash of #f8d598. Don't detail yet; focus on proportions and the spatial relationship between them.
- 03
Build the ghost's form with value
Layer the ghost's face, neck, and visible hands with pure #f8d598, keeping edges crisp. Then use #8a5e33 and #804123 for the shadow side of clothing and cast shadows—notice how the shadow on the left side of the ghost's torso and the deep fold of the garment create volume. The contrast here is what makes it read as a separate, supernatural form.
- 04
Establish the woman's robe and seated pose
Block in the woman's crimson robe with #bb6940 on the light-struck areas (lap, outer sleeve edges) and warmer #bf9359 in the shadow folds. Model the fabric with careful attention to how the robe bunches where she sits—notice the sharp horizontal crease across her lap and the draped fullness at her legs.
- 05
Refine the ghost's gesturing hand
This raised, pointing hand is the focal gesture. Paint the fingers individually with #f8d598, keeping them pale and well-defined, then add #8a5e33 shadow between and beneath them. The hand's energy drives the viewer's eye—make this the most finished, readable element on the figure.
- 06
Develop interior recession and shadow
Using #804123 and #8a5e33, indicate the receding doorway and mantelpiece in the background center. Keep these soft and atmospheric—they should read as depth without competing with the foreground figures. Add shadow accents to ground the furniture and suggest floorboards with horizontal strokes.
- 07
Refine the woman's face and posture
The woman's head is smaller and turned toward the ghost; her expression should read as surprised or startled. Add subtle modeling to her face with #bf9359 and warm shadows, keeping the treatment less luminous than the ghost's face. Her shoulders and seated position should convey tension—slightly forward-leaning.
- 08
Adjust atmosphere and final edges
Step back and warm or cool edges as needed: the ghost's silhouette should read crisply against the warm wall, while the woman's form should integrate slightly more into the interior shadow. Add final accent strokes to the ghost's clothing folds where #8a5e33 deepens the drapery, and ensure the woman's robe fabric shows clear light-to-shadow transitions. Keep the overall palette warm and golden.
where studies of this painting go wrong
- Making the ghost too opaque or solid—it should feel ethereal and slightly transparent, especially in the drapery. Resist painting it as firmly as the woman; use thinner, more open brushwork.
- Losing the dynamic gesture of the raised arm by painting it too stiffly. The arm should feel animated and accusatory; let the brushstrokes follow the movement and thrust upward.
- Over-rendering the background doorway and mantelpiece, which should remain soft and subordinate. Keep them as atmospheric hints of depth, not crisp focal points.
- Making the woman's robe too uniformly red. The folds vary significantly in value and warmth; shadows dip into browns and cooler tones, while highlights are almost orange-red. Study the complex fabric geometry where she's seated.
- Underestimating the importance of the woman's expression and posture to convey the drama. Her startled, upward gaze and slightly tense shoulders should mirror the supernatural intensity of the encounter.
measured difficulty
- beginner friendliness
- value contrast
- palette complexity
- compositional simplicity
- brushwork visibility
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