plate no. 5667
Water Lilies
Claude Monet, 1906
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition lightly, focusing on the lily pad clusters
- step 02
Block in the water areas with mixed blue-green washes
- step 03
Add the darker water reflections with horizontal brushstrokes
- step 04
Paint the lily pads with yellow-green mixtures, varying temperatures
- step 05
Add the flower forms with thick impasto technique
- step 06
Build up water reflections with broken color technique
- step 07
Refine the surface textures with short, varied brushstrokes
- step 08
Add final highlights and adjust color harmonies
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow · viridian green · titanium white
secondary · cadmium red · purple · yellow ochre · cerulean blue
Mix greens by combining blues and yellows rather than using tube greens. Create color temperature variations through warm and cool mixtures.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·impasto application
- ·color temperature mixing
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →overworking the paint surface
- →making water too static
- →using too much detail in lily pads
- →ignoring color temperature relationships
materials
surface · stretched canvas or canvas board
required
- ·oil paints
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·#10 flat brush
- ·#4 round brush
- ·palette knife
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·turpentine
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·fan brush
- ·painting medium
- ·#2 liner brush
- ·canvas board alternative
Use quality oil paints for better color mixing. Canvas should have medium tooth for proper paint adhesion.
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