plate no. 7130

Still Life With Blue Vase

Józef Pankiewicz, 1909

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismstill lifeflowersvasefruittableclothstill lifeplate

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing, layering, and capturing the essence of forms with expressive brushstrokes. It is also a good exercise in understanding how light and shadow define the shapes of objects.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and composition: vase, flowers, fruit, and tablecloth.
step 02
Block in the main color areas for each object, focusing on the overall color harmony.
step 03
Start building up layers of color, adding variations and subtle shifts in hue and value.
step 04
Define the shapes of the flowers and fruit with thicker, more expressive brushstrokes.
step 05
Work on the tablecloth, capturing its pattern and texture with broken color and varied brushwork.
step 06
Refine the details of the vase, paying attention to its form and highlights.
step 07
Add shadows and highlights to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a cohesive and balanced composition.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · cadmium red · cadmium yellow · titanium white

secondary · viridian green · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Achieve the blues of the vase by mixing cerulean blue with white and a touch of ultramarine. The reds of the flowers are created by mixing cadmium red with touches of yellow and white. Greens are achieved by mixing blues and yellows.

techniques