plate no. 6164

Tulipes perroquet

Felix Vallotton, 1920

oilMagic Realismstill lifetulipsbookstableclothfruitvasesshelf

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve muted tones and practice rendering textures like fabric and flower petals. Students will also learn to create depth through layering and subtle value changes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes and composition, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the background and large areas of color, like the tablecloth and bookshelf.
step 03
Establish the basic values (lights and darks) in each area.
step 04
Begin layering colors to refine the forms of the tulips, vases, and fruit.
step 05
Add details to the tablecloth pattern and book spines.
step 06
Refine the highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth.
step 07
Add final details and adjust colors as needed.
step 08
Let dry and varnish.

color palette

primary · red · yellow · green · brown

secondary · blue · white · orange · gray

Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors (e.g., red and green) and adding white or gray. Use varying amounts of yellow and red to create the different shades of the tulips.

techniques