plate no. 5675
Illustration for the fairytale "Go there do not know where, bring it I do not know what"
Ivan Bilibin, 1935
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses Ivan Bilibin’s 1935 oil illustration for the fairytale 'Go there do not know where, bring it I do not know what.' While Bilibin is historically renowned for his watercolor and gouache illustrations characterized by sharp lines and flat planes of color, this specific work is executed in oil, a medium that allows for different textural and luminous effects. The artwork belongs to the Art Nouveau style, which emphasizes decorative linearity and stylized forms. Because the provided sources do not contain specific visual descriptions of this particular painting’s composition or subject matter, the guide focuses on the technical application of oil painting methods compatible with Bilibin’s era and the general principles of oil technique described in the sources, such as glazing and scumbling over a monochrome underpainting.
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions (allowing for drying time between glaze layers)
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Titanium White, Ultramarine, Black, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow) | Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing | — |
| Linseed oil or Oil of Copavia | Medium for mixing paints and glazing; historically used by Reynolds and common in oil painting | Stand oil or Walnut oil for slower drying/less yellowing |
| Canvas or Panel | Support for the oil painting | — |
| Gesso or Oil Ground | To prepare the surface for oil application | — |
| Varnish | For final glazing layers or protection, as mentioned in glazing techniques | Dammar or Synthetic Resin Varnish |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a rigid support (panel or stretched canvas) with a smooth ground. Bilibin’s style relies on precise linearity, so a smooth surface is preferable to heavy canvas texture. While specific preparation for this 1935 work is not detailed in the sources, standard oil painting practice involves sealing the support to prevent oil absorption. (Source 3) notes that linen is a common support, derived from the flax plant.
underdrawing
Bilibin’s work is characterized by strong, decorative outlines. In oil, this is often achieved through a precise underdrawing in charcoal or thinned oil. Since the sources do not specify Bilibin’s underdrawing method for this piece, use a light, removable medium to establish the Art Nouveau linear forms. Ensure lines are confident, as Bilibin’s style does not typically rely on soft, blended contours.
underpainting
Create a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white, as suggested by Sir Joshua Reynolds’ method cited in the sources. This establishes the value structure without color interference. (Source 1) describes this as 'mentally extracting the red and yellow colours' to translate what would be left in nature. This step is crucial for the glazing technique that follows.
color palette
Ultramarine/Black/White
Ultramarine, Ivory Black, Titanium White
Grisaille underpainting to establish values
Red Tones
Cadmium Red or Alizarin Crimson
Glazing over the grisaille to introduce warmth and flesh tones or decorative elements
Yellow Tones
Cadmium Yellow or Yellow Ochre
Glazing to introduce light and warmth, correcting hue shifts
Neutral Grays
Complementary mixes or diluted black/white
Scumbling to create coldness or atmospheric effects
composition
The sources do not describe the specific composition of this 1935 illustration. However, Bilibin’s general practice involves strong diagonal lines and triangular compositions typical of Art Nouveau. (Source 8) defines composition as the organization of visual elements like line, shape, and value. Apply these principles by ensuring the linear elements guide the eye through the narrative scene, maintaining the decorative balance characteristic of the style.
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition lightly, focusing on the strong linear contours typical of Bilibin’s Art Nouveau style.
Tip — Keep lines light to avoid interfering with subsequent layers.
Linear drawing
underpainting
step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white to create a grisaille. Paint the full tonal range of the image, ignoring color.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors as per Reynolds’ advice to focus on value structure.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Begin glazing with transparent red and yellow tones using oil as a medium.
Tip — Apply thin, transparent layers to build up color intensity without obscuring the underpainting.
Glazing
refining
step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) over darker areas to introduce coldness or gray blooms, if needed for atmospheric effect.
Tip — Ensure the underlying painting shows through to maintain depth.
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Adjust hues by adding small amounts of adjacent colors to correct shifts caused by lightening or darkening.
Tip — Avoid adding black to yellows/oranges to prevent greenish shifts; use complements instead.
Hue correction
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish layer to unify the surface and protect the glazes.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry to prevent trapping solvents.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color over a dry monochrome underpainting to achieve luminosity and depth, a method practiced by old masters and described by Reynolds.
Scumbling
Using semi-opaque paint over darker grounds to create coldness or gray blooms, allowing the underpainting to show through.
Hue Correction
Adding adjacent colors to correct hue shifts when lightening or darkening, rather than relying solely on black or white.
common pitfalls
- →Adding black to yellow or orange paints, which can cause unwanted greenish or bluish hue shifts (Source 2).
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can muddy the colors and ruin the transparency (Source 1).
- →Ignoring the simultaneous contrast of colors, which can alter the perceived hue of adjacent areas (Source 4).
- →Overworking the paint to achieve illusionistic realism, losing the vital expression of the medium and the decorative quality of the Art Nouveau style (Source 7).
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 the 1935 illustration (characters, background, exact color scheme) are not described in the sources.
- ·Bilibin’s specific oil painting habits for this late period are not detailed; the guide relies on general oil techniques and his known linear style.
- ·The exact medium Bilibin used for this specific work (e.g., specific oil type, varnish) is not recorded in the provided passages.
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 and glazing/scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color perception and contrast effects
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of medium and avoiding illusionism
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — part 6 — applied to Hue correction and mixing pitfalls
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 4 — applied to Materials and medium properties
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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