plate no. 5747
Still life with Sunflower
Piet Mondrian, 1907
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in loose brushwork and capturing light and shadow with a limited color palette. It emphasizes the importance of layering and blending to achieve depth and texture.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 10 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the sunflower, vase, and fruit.
- step 02
Block in the background with a thin layer of green and yellow hues.
- step 03
Establish the dark areas and shadows using a mix of browns and greens.
- step 04
Begin layering the sunflower petals with yellows and oranges, using short, expressive strokes.
- step 05
Add details to the vase and fruit, focusing on highlights and reflections.
- step 06
Refine the background and foreground, blending colors to create a sense of depth.
- step 07
Add final touches and highlights to the sunflower to make it the focal point.
- step 08
Allow to dry and apply a varnish for protection.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · sap green · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · cadmium yellow · raw sienna · ultramarine blue
Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Achieve darker tones by adding burnt umber to the greens and yellows. Use white to create highlights and lighter values.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·alla prima
- ·scumbling
- ·impasto
- ·wet-on-wet blending
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details, resulting in a loss of spontaneity.
- →Using too much detail in the background, distracting from the sunflower.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Not blending colors sufficiently, leading to a choppy appearance.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
- ·palette knife
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·sap green oil paint
optional
- ·palette
- ·easel
- ·painting medium
- ·varnish
Use a medium-grain canvas for better texture. Consider using a fast-drying medium to speed up the drying process.
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