plate no. 7558

Still Life

oilExpressionismstill lifestill lifebreadfishbottletableglass

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing, layering, and capturing the essence of a subject with expressive brushstrokes. It's a good exercise in simplifying forms and focusing on overall color relationships.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and composition of the still life.
step 02
Block in the main color areas for the background, table, and objects.
step 03
Start layering colors, focusing on the darker values first.
step 04
Add highlights and mid-tones to define the forms and create depth.
step 05
Refine the details of the bread, fish, bottle, and glass.
step 06
Pay attention to the color relationships between the objects and their surroundings.
step 07
Add final touches and adjust values as needed.
step 08
Let dry and varnish.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · yellow ochre · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · viridian green · ultramarine blue · raw sienna

Achieve the various browns by mixing burnt umber with yellow ochre and small amounts of red or blue. Use white to create lighter tints of each color. Mix greens from yellow and blue.

techniques