plate no. 5627

Still-Life with a Skull

oil, panelBaroquestill lifeskullflowerhourglassstill lifetable

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering realistic textures and capturing subtle gradations of light and shadow. It also provides practice in creating a balanced composition with a limited color palette.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare the canvas with a neutral ground.
step 02
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the skull, flower, hourglass, and table.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color, focusing on the overall value structure.
step 04
Begin refining the shapes and adding details, starting with the skull.
step 05
Work on the flower, paying attention to the color variations in the petals.
step 06
Paint the hourglass, focusing on the transparency of the glass and the texture of the sand.
step 07
Add the details to the table surface, capturing the subtle variations in tone.
step 08
Refine the background and add any final details.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · ivory black · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

Mix burnt umber and ivory black for the dark areas of the skull and background. Use titanium white to create highlights and lighter tones. Mix cadmium red and yellow ochre for the flower petals.

techniques