plate no. 5940
Waves
recreation guide
Arkhyp Kuindzhi’s 'Waves' belongs to the genre of seascape, a subdivision of landscape painting that depicts oceans or beaches (Source 1). Kuindzhi is historically noted for his mature period aspiration to capture the 'most expressive illuminative aspect of the natural condition,' utilizing light effects and intense colors to create an illusion of illumination (Source 3). His work often features panoramic views and decorative effects of color building, reflecting his lifelong interest in the study of light, color, and perception, influenced by his friendship with chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (Source 3). As a realist painter working in oil, the recreation requires adherence to traditional oil painting principles, such as the 'fat over lean' rule to ensure the stability of the paint film (Source 2).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions (allowing for drying time between glazes)
materials
6 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion) | Primary pigments for creating the seascape and light effects | Artist-grade oil paints |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and adhere to the 'fat over lean' rule | Refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or Turpentine | Solvent for thinning initial layers and cleaning brushes | Odorless mineral spirits |
| Canvas | Support for the oil painting | Linen or cotton canvas, primed |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For initial sketching of the subject | Vine charcoal or diluted oil paint |
| Palette knives and brushes | Application of paint; knives can scrape or apply thick layers | Standard artist brushes and palette knives |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming methods for this exact work are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting practices of the 19th century typically involved a gesso or oil-based ground to provide a stable surface for the 'fat over lean' layering technique (Source 2).
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 2). Given Kuindzhi’s focus on light and panoramic views, the underdrawing likely established the horizon line and major wave forms without excessive detail, allowing for the subsequent application of light effects.
underpainting
A grisaille (monochrome underpainting) may be employed to establish values before applying color. Source 4 describes a method where a grisaille is dried, then glazed and scumbled with oil to add color tones. This technique allows for the extraction of red and yellow colors initially, translating what would be left in nature, which aligns with Kuindzhi’s scientific approach to color perception (Source 3, Source 4).
color palette
Ultramarine
Pure ultramarine blue
Deep shadows and water tones, consistent with traditional oil painting palettes (Source 4)
White
Lead white or Titanium white
Highlights and lightening colors, though adding white can shift hue towards blue (Source 8)
Yellow/Red tones
Yellow ochre, vermilion
Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and illumination, applied over the dry grisaille (Source 4)
Black
Ivory black or lamp black
Darkening colors, though caution is needed as it can shift hues towards greenish or bluish parts of the spectrum (Source 8)
composition
Kuindzhi applied composite receptions, such as a high horizon, to create panoramic views (Source 3). In landscape composition, the horizon line should not divide the artwork in two equal parts but be positioned to emphasize either the sky or ground; for a seascape focusing on waves, the horizon might be placed to emphasize the water or the atmospheric conditions above (Source 6). The composition should have a center of interest to prevent it from becoming a mere pattern, and the viewer's eye should be led around all elements (Source 6).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the wave forms and horizon line using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Ensure the horizon is not exactly bisecting the canvas to avoid a static composition.
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Apply a monochrome grisaille layer to establish values, excluding red and yellow tones.
Tip — Allow this layer to dry completely before proceeding.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Glaze and scumble yellow and red tones over the dry grisaille using oil.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color; scumbling is semi-opaque. This builds the illusion of illumination.
Glazing and Scumbling
refining
step 04
Apply subsequent layers of paint, ensuring each layer contains more oil than the previous one ('fat over lean').
Tip — If layers contain less oil, the painting will crack and peel.
Fat over lean
finishing
step 05
Refine light effects and intense colors to capture the expressive illuminative aspect of the waves.
Tip — Use palette knives or brushes to adjust texture and form while the paint is wet.
Light effects
varnishing
step 06
Apply varnish after the painting is fully dry (typically two weeks or more).
Tip — Oil paint dries by oxidation, not evaporation.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Fat over lean
Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking.
Glazing and Scumbling
Glazing applies transparent color; scumbling applies semi-opaque color. Used to build color and light effects over a monochrome underpainting.
Light Effects
Kuindzhi used intense colors and light effects to depict the illusion of illumination, a hallmark of his mature period.
common pitfalls
- →Cracking and peeling: Caused by violating the 'fat over lean' rule, where upper layers have less oil than lower layers (Source 2).
- →Hue Shift: Darkening colors with black can cause yellows, oranges, and reds to shift toward greenish or bluish hues. Use complementary colors to neutralize instead (Source 8).
- →Static Composition: Placing the horizon line exactly in the middle or lacking a center of interest can make the work appear as a pattern rather than a dynamic scene (Source 6).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific visual details of the waves in 'Waves' (e.g., exact wave height, presence of foam, specific lighting conditions) are not described in the provided sources.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, making it difficult to pinpoint the precise evolution of Kuindzhi's style for this specific work.
- ·Specific pigment recipes used by Kuindzhi for this painting are not provided, only general traditional practices.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille, glazing, and scumbling techniques
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- part 13 — applied to Defining the genre as seascape
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 2 — applied to Fat over lean rule, drying time, sketching methods
Wikipedia bio — Arkhyp Kuindzhi↗
- part 2 — applied to Artist's focus on light, panoramic views, and color building
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 6 — applied to Horizon line placement and center of interest
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- part 6 — applied to Hue shifts when mixing with black or white
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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