plate no. 6441
Positano, Italy
recreation guide
This recreation guide addresses the painting 'Positano, Italy' by David Burliuk, categorized here as a Post-Impressionist flower painting. While the specific visual details of this particular canvas are not described in the provided sources, the instructions rely on established principles of floral composition and oil painting technique found in the source texts. The approach emphasizes the structural arrangement of floral lines into a cohesive space, prioritizing the relationship between lines and areas over botanical realism (Source 1). The color application follows traditional methods of glazing and scumbling over a monochrome underpainting, leveraging the laws of simultaneous contrast to harmonize inherent colors with chosen background tones (Source 2, Source 3).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Black, Ultramarine, White, Yellow, Red) | Primary palette for grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazing layers. | — |
| Oil of Copavia (or modern linseed/walnut oil) | Medium for the first and second paintings to ensure proper flow and drying. | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Thin Japanese paper | For tracing and refining the initial line composition before transferring to canvas. | Tracing paper or lightweight drafting paper |
| Brush and Ink | To trace the refined line scheme on Japanese paper. | — |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to increase transparency and depth. | Dammar varnish or modern painting medium |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a standard oil painting ground. While specific canvas preparation for Burliuk is not detailed in the sources, the technique described involves working on a surface capable of supporting multiple layers of glazing and scumbling. Ensure the ground is smooth enough to allow for the 'transparent coat of colour' required in the glazing phase (Source 2).
underdrawing
Begin with a contour drawing approach, focusing on the mass and volume of the floral subjects rather than minor details (Source 4). The instructor or artist should draw the flower in large, firm outlines, avoiding confusing detail and giving the character as simply as possible (Source 1). The goal is to form a line-scheme where all lines and areas are related to one another, cutting the space effectively rather than placing a small spray in the middle of a big oblong (Source 1).
underpainting
Execute a grisaille (monochrome) underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 2). This stage involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if those colors were absent (Source 2). This establishes the tonal structure and chiaroscuro before color is introduced.
color palette
Black
Bone Black or Ivory Black
Grisaille underpainting to establish dark tones and shadows.
Ultramarine
Ultramarine Blue
Grisaille underpainting to establish cool mid-tones and shadows.
White
Titanium or Zinc White
Grisaille underpainting to establish highlights and light tones.
Yellow
Yellow Ochre or Cadmium Yellow
Glazing and scumbling layers to reintroduce warmth and local color.
Red
Vermilion or Alizarin Crimson
Glazing and scumbling layers to reintroduce warmth and local color.
composition
The composition should avoid exact bisections of the picture space and ensure the prominent subject is off-center, balanced by smaller satellite elements (Source 5). The arrangement must form a beautiful whole where lines and spaces are interconnected, creating an irregular pattern rather than a mere botanical illustration (Source 1). Ensure no spaces between objects are identical to create visual interest (Source 5).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the floral subject using contour drawing techniques, focusing on the outline and mass rather than detail. Avoid confusing details; keep the character simple.
Tip — Ensure the main lines cut the space effectively. Do not leave disconnected groups of flowers.
Contour Drawing
step 02
Refine the line scheme by tracing with brush and ink on thin Japanese paper. Concentrate effort on the arrangement and relationship of lines, not botanical correctness.
Tip — Check that the composition forms a cohesive whole with related areas.
Line Composition
underpainting
step 03
Apply a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the full range of tones from light to dark.
Tip — Mentally exclude red and yellow hues to focus purely on value structure.
Grisaille
first pass
step 04
Once the grisaille is quite dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply yellow and red tones as they occur in the subject, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use scumbling over darker grounds to achieve a grey bloom or coldness if desired.
Glazing and Scumbling
refining
step 05
Adjust colors based on the law of simultaneous contrast. Be aware that juxtaposed colors will influence each other; the lightest tone will be lowered and the darkest heightened.
Tip — Do not paint colors in isolation; consider how neighboring colors alter the perception of the current hue.
Simultaneous Contrast
finishing
step 06
Apply final glazes using varnish and oil mixed, once sufficient mastery of the medium is gained. Focus on harmonizing inherent colors with chosen background tones.
Tip — Ensure the final effect devotes itself to great effects, allowing many small ones to result spontaneously.
Varnish Glazing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Used to build color over a dry monochrome underpainting. Glazing provides transparency, while scumbling offers semi-opaque texture, allowing the underlying painting to show through.
Simultaneous Contrast
Applied to harmonize colors by understanding that adjacent colors modify each other's appearance. This prevents muddy colors and enhances vibrancy through juxtaposition.
Line Composition
Used in the initial stages to arrange floral forms into a structured pattern of lines and spaces, prioritizing design over realism.
common pitfalls
- →Focusing on botanical correctness rather than the arrangement of lines and spaces (Source 1).
- →Attempting to glaze before the grisaille underpainting is completely dry, which can ruin the tonal foundation (Source 2).
- →Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and muddy results (Source 8).
- →Creating disconnected groups of flowers or placing a small spray in the center of a large space, failing to form a cohesive composition (Source 1).
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 'Positano, Italy' such as the exact flower species, background elements, or specific color palette used by Burliuk for this piece are not described in the sources.
- ·David Burliuk's specific personal variations on these general techniques are not detailed; the guide relies on general Post-Impressionist and traditional oil painting methods found in the texts.
- ·The exact dimensions and aspect ratio of the original artwork are not provided.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
Composition — FLOWER COMPOSITIONS TWO VALUES↗
- Exercise — applied to Underdrawing and composition principles
The Practice of Oil Painting — COLOURING A MONOCHROME↗
- Glazing and Scumbling — applied to Underpainting and color application steps
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color refinement and harmony
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- Technique — applied to Initial sketching approach
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Other techniques — applied to Compositional balance and spacing
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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