Reading in the garden

Sketch the figures and garden setting lightly. Focus on the arrangement of ordinary people in a common activity.

Tip — Ensure the outline is not too rigid, as Bogdanov-Belsky’s impressionistic style may require flexibility.

Preparatory drawing

Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia. Paint the entire scene in monochrome (grisaille), ignoring red and yellow hues.

Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to translate what would be left in nature without them.

Grisaille

Apply transparent coats of yellow and red tones over the grisaille using oil as a medium. This is known as glazing.

Tip — Treat it like tinting an engraving with watercolors. The underlying painting should show through.

Glazing

Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This is essential before applying glazes.

Tip — Do not rush this step; wet-on-wet application of glazes will muddy the underpainting.

Drying

Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms if needed.

Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt while adding texture and value shifts.

Scumbling

As mastery increases, mix varnish with oil for subsequent glazing layers to deepen the color and luminosity.

Tip — This method was practiced by old masters and can add depth to the impressionistic light effects.

Varnish glazing

Check color combinations for harmony. Use complementary or analogous colors to create pleasing contrasts and consonances.

Tip — Avoid muddying colors by adding black; instead, use complementary colors to neutralize and darken if needed.

Color Harmony

When darkening colors, avoid adding black if it causes hue shifts (e.g., yellow shifting green). Use complementary colors to neutralize.

Tip — Adding white to reds/oranges can shift them blue; correct with adjacent colors like orange.

Color Mixing