plate no. 7459

Tulips in a Milk Carton

Paul Wonner, 1989

oilContemporary Realismstill lifeflowerstulipsmilk cartonstill lifeshadowsbackground

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing, particularly subtle variations in floral hues, and in rendering realistic forms with attention to light and shadow. It also provides practice in depicting textures, from the smooth petals to the matte surface of the milk carton.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the milk carton, tulips, and stems, paying attention to proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the background with a dark blue, creating subtle variations in tone to suggest depth.
step 03
Begin painting the milk carton, focusing on accurate rendering of its geometric form and the lettering. Use a limited grayscale palette.
step 04
Mix the colors for the tulips, starting with the base tones and gradually adding highlights and shadows to create volume.
step 05
Paint the stems and leaves, blending greens and yellows to capture their natural variations.
step 06
Refine the details of the tulips, adding subtle color shifts and textures to make them appear realistic.
step 07
Add the cast shadow of the milk carton, paying attention to its shape and value.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition, ensuring that the colors and values are balanced and harmonious.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · cadmium red · cadmium yellow

secondary · raw umber · burnt sienna · sap green

Achieve the tulip colors by mixing reds, yellows, and white, with small amounts of blue or brown to create subtle variations. The background requires careful blending of blues and whites to create depth and atmosphere.

techniques