plate no. 1625
Still Life with statue, vase and jar
Theo van Doesburg, 1920
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering washes and creating form with limited color and value variations. It also encourages simplification and expressive brushwork.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the vase, statue, and background.
- step 02
Apply a thin wash of raw umber or similar neutral tone over the entire surface.
- step 03
Begin layering in the darker background areas with a mix of blues and browns, using vertical brushstrokes.
- step 04
Block in the statue with light beige or off-white, leaving some of the underpainting visible.
- step 05
Add the blue-green color to the vase, using broken brushstrokes to create texture.
- step 06
Refine the shapes and values, adding subtle shadows and highlights.
- step 07
Use dry brush technique to add texture and detail to the vase and statue.
- step 08
Add final touches and adjust values as needed.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · Prussian blue
secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green
Mix the background colors by blending blues and browns. Achieve the statue's color by mixing white with a touch of raw umber and yellow ochre. The vase color is a mix of blue and green with white.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·layering washes
- ·broken color
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the loose, expressive quality.
- →Using too much detail and not simplifying the forms.
- →Creating too much contrast and losing the subtle value relationships.
- →Not allowing layers to dry properly, resulting in muddy colors.
materials
surface · stretched canvas or canvas board
required
- ·stretched canvas or canvas board
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·Prussian blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·linseed oil or painting medium
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
optional
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·rags or paper towels
- ·easel
Use a canvas with a slightly textured surface to enhance the dry brush effect. Consider using a toned canvas to start with a mid-value ground.
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