plate no. 6482

Still life with vegetables, mice and rabbits

Adolf Dietrich, 1928

oilNaïve Art (Primitivism)still lifevegetablesrabbitsmicestill lifeproduceanimals

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering textures of various vegetables and fur, as well as understanding how to create depth with a limited palette and strong value contrasts.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and composition, paying attention to the placement of the vegetables and animals.
step 02
Block in the background with a dark, even tone.
step 03
Begin layering in the base colors for each vegetable and animal, focusing on accurate color matching.
step 04
Add highlights and shadows to create volume and form, using subtle color variations.
step 05
Develop the textures of the vegetables and fur using dry brushing and stippling techniques.
step 06
Refine the details, such as the eyes of the animals and the veins of the leaves.
step 07
Add the wheat stalks in the background with fine brushstrokes.
step 08
Apply a final glaze to unify the colors and add depth.

color palette

primary · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · viridian · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna

Achieve the various greens by mixing yellow ochre and viridian. Create the browns and earth tones by mixing raw umber, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre. Use white to lighten values and create highlights.

techniques