plate no. 1026
Mount Fuji
David Burliuk, 1922
recreation guide
David Burliuk’s 1922 oil painting 'Mount Fuji' is a landscape work that engages with the tradition of depicting natural scenery, where the sky and weather often form integral elements of the composition (Source 2). While the artwork is categorized under Realism in the provided metadata, Burliuk is historically associated with avant-garde movements; however, the sources provided emphasize general oil painting techniques and landscape principles rather than specific biographical details of Burliuk’s unique style for this specific piece. The recreation relies on traditional oil painting methods, including the 'fat over lean' rule to ensure structural integrity (Source 1, Source 5). The work likely employs the expressive capacity of oil paint, utilizing layering to adjust translucency, sheen, and body, which are closely related to the artist's expressive intent (Source 1, Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
8 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | Support for the oil painting | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For sketching the subject onto the canvas | Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent |
| Linseed oil | Medium to mix with paint for consistency and drying time | Refined linseed oil |
| Artist grade mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent to thin paint and clean brushes | Odorless mineral spirits or gum turpentine |
| Oil paints | Primary medium for color application | Artist-grade oil paints |
| Paintbrushes | Traditional tool for transferring paint to the surface | Hog bristle and sable brushes |
| Palette knives | Alternative application tool or for scraping off paint | Flexible steel palette knives |
| Rags | For cleaning brushes or removing wet paint layers | Lint-free cotton rags |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for Burliuk are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting techniques assume a prepared surface that allows for the layering of paint. The 'fat over lean' rule implies a stable foundation where the first layers are leaner (more solvent) and subsequent layers are fatter (more oil) (Source 1, Source 5).
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1, Source 5). For a landscape like 'Mount Fuji', this underdrawing would establish the coherent composition of the mountain, sky, and any foreground elements (Source 2).
underpainting
The sources suggest that traditional techniques may involve a monochrome preparation, such as a grisaille, before applying color. This method involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish values, then glazing and scumbling with oil to add tones (Source 4). This approach allows the underlying painting to make itself felt through semi-opaque layers (Source 4).
color palette
General Landscape Tones
Oil paints mixed with linseed oil and solvents
Depicting natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, and sky, which are essential elements of landscape painting (Source 2)
Glaze Colors
Transparent coats of color, potentially including red and yellow tones
Adding warmth and depth over a dry monochrome underpainting, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 4)
Scumble Colors
Semi-opaque paint, potentially cooler tones
Creating effects like a 'grey bloom' or coldness when employed over a darker ground (Source 4)
composition
Landscape painting involves arranging elements like mountains, valleys, and sky into a coherent composition (Source 2). The sky is almost always included, and weather is often an element of the composition (Source 2). While specific compositional details of Burliuk's 'Mount Fuji' are not described in the sources, the general principle of landscape art applies, where the view may be copied from reality with varying degrees of accuracy or be entirely imaginary (Source 2).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the subject of Mount Fuji onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint to establish the composition.
Tip — Ensure the composition includes the sky and weather elements, as these are integral to landscape painting.
Traditional underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values, mentally extracting red and yellow colors.
Tip — Allow this layer to dry completely before proceeding to color application.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Begin applying color using glazing and scumbling techniques. Glaze with transparent coats of color, particularly red and yellow tones.
Tip — Use oil as a medium initially. Glazing allows for the adjustment of translucency and sheen.
Glazing
refining
step 04
Apply semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to add texture and coldness, especially over darker grounds.
Tip — Watch for the underlying painting showing through, which creates depth and complexity.
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Continue layering paint, adhering to the 'fat over lean' rule to prevent cracking.
Tip — Ensure each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below.
Fat over lean
step 06
Use palette knives or rags to adjust texture, form, or to remove unwanted paint while it is still wet.
Tip — Oil paint remains wet longer than other materials, allowing for changes in color and texture.
Palette knife application/removal
critical techniques
Fat over lean
A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking.
Glazing
Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to adjust translucency and sheen, similar to tinting an engraving.
Scumbling
Applying semi-opaque paint through which the underlying painting makes itself felt, often used to create coldness or a 'grey bloom'.
Palette Knife Usage
Used for application or scraping off paint, allowing the artist to change color, texture, or form.
common pitfalls
- →Violating the 'fat over lean' rule, which can cause the final painting to crack and peel (Source 1, Source 5).
- →Applying color before the monochrome underpainting is completely dry, which can ruin the glazing effect (Source 4).
- →Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can be checked by studying works that emphasize broad masses (Source 6).
- →Attempting to remove hardened paint with a rag and turpentine, which is only effective while the paint is wet; hardened layers must be scraped off (Source 1, 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 Burliuk's 'Mount Fuji' (e.g., exact color choices, specific brushwork style, presence of figures or buildings) are not described in the sources.
- ·Burliuk's personal palette preferences or specific medium recipes are not provided in the sources.
- ·The specific compositional layout of this particular painting is not detailed, only general landscape principles.
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 techniques
- ON COPYING — applied to General advice on avoiding over-modeling and studying broad masses
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 Underdrawing, fat over lean rule, palette knife usage, drying times
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to Composition elements (sky, weather), genre definition
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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