plate no. 4279

Still Life with Lemons

Cuno Amiet, 1910

oilPost-Impressionismstill lifeflowerspitcherlemonsstill lifetablebackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand and practice expressive brushwork and color mixing to create texture and form. It also provides a good exercise in simplifying complex shapes and capturing the essence of a scene.

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 of the pitcher, lemons, and flower arrangement.
step 02
Block in the background with broad strokes of green, paying attention to the direction of the brushstrokes.
step 03
Establish the main colors of the pitcher, using varying shades of blue and highlights.
step 04
Paint the lemons, focusing on capturing their rounded forms with yellows and oranges.
step 05
Add the flowers, using short, expressive strokes of pink, white, and yellow.
step 06
Define the table surface with blues and yellows, creating a patterned effect.
step 07
Add details and highlights to the pitcher and lemons to enhance their form.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting colors and values as needed.

color palette

primary · Prussian Blue · Lemon Yellow · Crimson · Titanium White

secondary · Sap Green · Yellow Ochre · Orange

Mix greens by combining blue and yellow, and create various shades of blue by adding white or black. Achieve the pink hues by mixing red and white.

techniques

·Impasto
·Broken Color
·Directional Brushstrokes
·Color Mixing
·Layering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
→Failing to capture the light and shadow on the forms.
→Ignoring the direction of the brushstrokes, which contributes to the overall texture.

materials

surface · Stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Oil paints (Prussian Blue, Lemon Yellow, Crimson, Titanium White, Sap Green, Yellow Ochre, Orange)
·Assorted brushes (flat and round)
·Palette knife
·Palette
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Rags