Versailles. The roofs of the city

surface prep

The canvas should be properly primed to accept oil paint. While Serebriakova’s specific ground preparation for this 1924 work is not detailed, traditional oil painting practice involves ensuring a stable surface to prevent cracking. The 'fat over lean' rule dictates that subsequent layers must contain more oil than the previous ones, implying the initial ground should be relatively lean or dry to allow proper adhesion of the first paint layers (Source 1).

underdrawing

Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. This initial step establishes the composition of the roofs and city structures. Traditional oil painting techniques often start with this sketch to map out the forms before applying opaque color (Source 1).

underpainting

Consider using a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values and composition before applying color. This technique involves painting in neutral tones, mentally extracting red and yellow colors, to create a structural foundation. Once dry, this layer can be glazed and scumbled with color, a method practiced by old masters and useful for achieving depth and harmony in complex cityscapes (Source 3).

Fat over Lean

Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking. This is a basic rule of oil paint application.

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color, while scumbling is a semi-opaque painting technique. These methods allow for adjusting translucency, sheen, and density, and were practiced by old masters to achieve depth and harmony.

Simultaneous Contrast

Juxtaposing colors and tones to enhance their visual impact. Placing a light tone next to a dark one makes the light appear lighter and the dark appear darker, creating a true gradation of light.