plate no. 6267

Still Life with Fruit

Nicolae Tonitza

oilPost-Impressionismstill lifefruitstill lifegrapesapplespearstable

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and composition of the fruit pile.
step 02
Block in the background with a dark, warm tone.
step 03
Apply a base color to each fruit, focusing on the local color.
step 04
Add highlights and shadows to define the form of each fruit.
step 05
Paint the grapes, paying attention to their clustered arrangement.
step 06
Refine the details and edges of the fruit.
step 07
Add highlights to the grapes to create a sense of depth.
step 08
Adjust the overall color balance and contrast.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ivory black

secondary · cadmium red · sap green · titanium white

Achieve the fruit tones by mixing yellow ochre with touches of red and green. Use white to lighten and black to darken. The dark grapes are a mix of black and burnt sienna.

techniques

·blocking in
·scumbling
·color mixing
·layering
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Failing to establish a clear light source.
→Making the fruit look too flat and lacking dimension.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ivory black, cadmium red, sap green, titanium white)
·Round brushes (#2, #6, #8)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Rags