plate no. 5769

Water lilies

Hélène Guinepied, 1930

oilArt Nouveau (Modern)landscapewater liliesleavestreesvegetationpondlandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors and creating depth through line work. It also provides practice in simplifying complex natural forms into stylized shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the water lilies, trees, and background vegetation.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of light yellow/beige to the background.
step 03
Paint the base layer of the water lilies with a light blue-green mixture.
step 04
Add darker blue tones to the water lilies to create depth and shadows.
step 05
Paint the vertical lines representing the water beneath the lilies with a dark brown/gray.
step 06
Add the blue vertical shapes in the background, leaving gaps for the background color to show through.
step 07
Outline the shapes with dark blue or black lines to define the forms.
step 08
Add final details like small yellow accents on the lilies and subtle variations in the background vegetation.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · raw umber · yellow ochre

secondary · sap green · titanium white

Mix cerulean blue with white for the lighter lily pads. Use yellow ochre and raw umber for the background and tree trunks. Add sap green to the blue for the green lily pads.

techniques