plate no. 7267

Windmills in the Ukrainian steppe at sunset

oilRomanticismlandscapewindmillssunsetsteppeskyfigureslandscape

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses the painting 'Windmills in the Ukrainian steppe at sunset' (1862) by Ivan Aivazovsky. Aivazovsky is characterized as a Romantic painter who, while oriented toward the Realist genre, remained faithful to Romanticism throughout his life, often depicting epic themes and the struggle between man and elements (Source 5). By 1862, his work was transitioning from the 'fantastic color' of his earlier years to a 'more truthful vision,' though he retained a highly academic style influenced by masters like Claude Lorrain and Salvator Rosa (Source 5). The subject matter aligns with his documented production of numerous Ukrainian landscapes, including scenes of the steppe and the Dnieper (Source 4). The painting likely employs the artist's characteristic attention to light and atmospheric effects, consistent with his reputation for delicate colors and dramatic scenes (Source 5).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Raw Umber, Yellow ochre/red earths)	Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing	Standard tube oils; ensure ultramarine is high quality for transparency
Linseed oil or Oil of Copavia	Medium for mixing paints and glazing	Stand oil or refined linseed oil; Copavia is a historical resinous oil
Turpentine	Thinner for initial washes and cleaning	Odorless mineral spirits or pure gum turpentine
Canvas or Panel	Support for the painting	Linen canvas primed with gesso
Charcoal	Underdrawing and initial shading	Vine charcoal or compressed charcoal
Varnish	For glazing layers once mastery is gained	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a white or light-toned ground. While specific preparation for this exact canvas is not detailed, Aivazovsky’s academic training suggests a standard primed surface. The sources indicate a method where the initial painting is done with oil of copavia, implying a surface capable of holding transparent layers (Source 1).

underdrawing

Begin with a charcoal underdrawing. Do not hesitate to hold the brush or charcoal against the model (or reference) to ascertain proportions. Make the study slightly smaller than life if working from a direct view, or scale appropriately if working from imagination/memory. Shade in charcoal and use a dry brush to model forms. Correct all errors in the charcoal stage, as charcoal offers little resistance to a brush and none to bread eraser. It is 'reckless in the extreme to put down paint with obvious errors in construction' (Source 3).

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. This stage involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these two colors were not present. This creates a tonal foundation. The first and second paintings are done with this limited palette to establish form and light before introducing color (Source 1).

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure ultramarine

Underpainting and cool shadows; part of the initial monochrome scheme

White

Lead white (historically) or Titanium/Zinc white

Highlights and mixing in underpainting; lighter colors may use safflower oil to prevent yellowing (Source 8)

Black

Ivory black or Lamp black

Underpainting shadows and depth

Raw Umber

Pure raw umber

Setting the palette and initial earth tones (Source 3)

Yellow and Red tones

Yellow ochre, red earth, vermilion

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce sunset warmth and steppe colors

composition

Aivazovsky’s landscapes often feature wide views with the sky as a dominant element, consistent with the Romantic tradition of depicting natural scenery and weather (Source 7). His work from this period (1862) marks a transition toward more truthful vision but retains epic and romantic themes (Source 5). The composition likely emphasizes the atmospheric conditions of the sunset, utilizing the 'delicate colors' noted in his later works, though 1862 is mid-period. The steppe setting implies a vast, open horizon, typical of his Ukrainian landscapes (Source 4).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Draw the composition in charcoal, shading and modeling with a dry brush. Compare the drawing to the reference or mental image frequently, placing it at eye level to check proportions.
Tip — Correct all construction errors now; do not proceed to paint if the drawing is flawed.
Charcoal underdrawing

underpainting

step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia. Paint the entire composition in monochrome (grisaille), establishing light and shadow without red or yellow hues.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, focusing on the structural tones that remain.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Begin introducing color by glazing and scumbling yellow and red tones over the monochrome base.
Tip — Treat this like tinting an engraving with watercolors; apply transparent coats of color.
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Refine the sunset effects and steppe textures. Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms if needed for atmospheric depth.
Tip — Be aware of simultaneous contrast; adjacent colors will affect each other's appearance.
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Complete the painting by adjusting tones. If mastery is gained, mix varnish with oil for final glazes to enhance luminosity.
Tip — Avoid overworking; Aivazovsky’s style is academic but retains a romantic fluidity.
Varnish glazing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying a transparent coat of color over a dry underpainting to build up luminosity and depth, particularly for the sunset hues.

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create texture, coldness, or atmospheric effects like grey blooms.

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding that adjacent colors influence each other; the painter must account for how the sunset colors will alter the perception of the steppe and sky tones.

common pitfalls

→Putting down paint with obvious errors in construction or drawing, which is 'fatal to lucidity' (Source 3).
→Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception where the eye sees the complementary of the previously viewed color (Source 2).
→Attempting to complete the study in one painting session; the process requires going over the work at least three or four times (Source 3).
→Using too much red and yellow in the initial underpainting, which defeats the purpose of the grisaille method (Source 1).

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 windmills (number, style, position) are not described in the sources, so the artist must rely on general knowledge of Ukrainian steppe windmills or external references.
·The exact color palette for the sunset is not specified; the guide infers yellow and red tones based on the glazing instructions, but specific hues (e.g., orange, purple) are not detailed.
·Aivazovsky’s specific brushwork style for this particular painting is not described; the guide relies on his general academic and romantic tendencies.
·The size of the original painting is not provided, which affects the scale of the underdrawing and brushwork.

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 Underpainting (grisaille), glazing, and scumbling techniques
- PAINTING FROM LIFE — applied to Underdrawing, charcoal usage, and iterative painting process
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color theory and simultaneous contrast considerations

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia bio — Ivan Aivazovsky↗
- part 5 & 7 — applied to Artist style, period context, and transition to truthful vision
- part 4 — applied to Subject matter relevance (Ukrainian landscapes)
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to Materials and pigment properties