plate no. 5786

Interior (My dining room)

Wassily Kandinsky, 1909

oil, cardboardExpressionisminteriorinteriorroomtabledoorwayfurniturestill life

some experience helpful

This painting is great for learning how to simplify complex scenes into basic shapes and using color to create depth and interest. It also provides practice in expressive brushwork and color mixing.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and composition of the room, focusing on the placement of the furniture and doorways.
step 02
Block in the main color areas for the walls, floor, and furniture with thin washes of color.
step 03
Begin layering colors and adding texture to the walls, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 04
Define the shapes of the furniture and objects on the table with thicker paint and bolder brushstrokes.
step 05
Mix and apply the various shades of green for the furniture and doorway trim.
step 06
Add details to the tablecloth and still life elements, using small brushes and careful color placement.
step 07
Refine the overall composition and adjust colors as needed to create a sense of depth and harmony.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the form and texture of the objects.

color palette

primary · red · green · blue · white

secondary · yellow · purple · pink · orange

Achieve the pinks and purples by mixing red and white with small amounts of blue. Greens are created by mixing blue and yellow, adjusting the ratio for different shades. The reds are brightened with touches of orange or yellow.

techniques

·broken color
·impasto
·color mixing
·expressive brushwork
·layering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
→Failing to simplify the composition and getting bogged down in unnecessary details.
→Not paying attention to the relationships between colors and values.