plate no. 6817
The cherries
Pellizza da Volpedo, 1889
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, color mixing for skin tones, and creating a sense of depth through layering and subtle value changes. It also provides practice in rendering fabric and still life elements.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figures and the plate of cherries.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: background, clothing, skin tones.
- step 03
Begin refining the skin tones, using subtle variations in color and value to create form.
- step 04
Add details to the clothing, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
- step 05
Paint the cherries, focusing on their individual shapes and highlights.
- step 06
Refine the background, adding texture and details as needed.
- step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Review and adjust the overall composition and color balance.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · ultramarine blue
secondary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · ivory black
Skin tones can be achieved by mixing burnt umber, raw sienna, and titanium white, with small amounts of cadmium red for warmth. The blue fabric is ultramarine blue lightened with white and touches of yellow ochre. Cherries are a mix of cadmium red and burnt umber.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·color mixing
- ·layering
- ·blending
- ·rendering fabric
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Ignoring the subtle value changes in the skin tones.
- →Getting the proportions of the figures wrong.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth in the background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Allow each layer of paint to dry before applying the next.
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