plate no. 5667
Water Lilies
Claude Monet, 1906
experienced study
Students would develop advanced color mixing skills and learn to capture atmospheric effects through loose brushwork. This painting teaches how to suggest form and light through color temperature rather than precise drawing.
technical profile
palette complexity
5
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
2
compositional simplicity
3
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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