plate no. 5100

Still life

oilPost-Impressionismstill lifefruitstill lifetableyellowredshadows

some experience helpful

This painting offers a good opportunity to practice color mixing and layering to achieve realistic fruit tones and subtle light variations. Students can also develop their skills in capturing form through brushwork and understanding how light interacts with different surfaces.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the outlines of the fruits and the table.
step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of dark brown.
step 03
Apply a base layer of pink to the table, varying the tone slightly.
step 04
Start with the yellow fruits, blocking in the main shapes with yellow ochre and lemon yellow.
step 05
Add shadows to the yellow fruits using burnt umber and a touch of violet.
step 06
Paint the red fruits, using a mix of cadmium red and alizarin crimson.
step 07
Add highlights to the fruits using white and touches of yellow or red.
step 08
Refine the details and add subtle color variations to the table and background.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · cadmium red · titanium white

secondary · burnt umber · alizarin crimson · lemon yellow

Mix yellow ochre and lemon yellow for the base of the yellow fruits. Use burnt umber and violet to create shadows. Mix cadmium red and alizarin crimson for the red fruits. Add white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques

·blocking in
·layering
·color mixing
·blending
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Over-blending, which can flatten the forms.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the shadows and highlights.
→Not paying attention to the reflections on the table.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Oil paints: yellow ochre, cadmium red, alizarin crimson, burnt umber, titanium white, lemon yellow
·Palette
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Palette knife