An alla prima still life painting is one that was painted in one session. In this free step-by-step demonstration, learn how Cornelia Hernes creates a beautiful still life that includes a copper pot with lavender, a glass jar, and a porcelain jar and cup.
The following lesson is from Realism Live 2022, the world’s largest online art conference (join us for the next one in November 2023!).
Discover the “hidden blueprint” behind atmospheric classical portraits taught behind closed doors of prestigious art schools – check out Cornelia’s art video workshop, “Elegant Portraits” here!
How to Paint an Alla Prima Still Life
Featuring Cornelia Hernes
1. The objects are overlapping each other, but to begin the painting she includes places within the composition where the eyes can pause. She says one of those places in this composition is in the darker value of the copper pot.
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2. Once she creates the initial block-in, she moves on to massing in the shapes using values while squinting her eyes.
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3. Here she begins introducing color as a reference point to make sure the color and value of the lavender are preserved (in this step she is also adding color to create the porcelain jar). She then continues building in the background and foreground with a mixture of cool and warm temperatures, using a “whisper of white” to build shape.
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4. Work in “zones” of the painting. “It’s very challenging to be everywhere in the painting at the same time – it’s impossible,” she says, adding that you can look at your still life painting as though it’s a journey. She says to allow one area of your painting to lead the way, and allow other elements to follow suit until they lead the way, and so on.
This stage also includes tending to edges, using shadows to show the still life object contours, defining forms, and being sensitive to the value variations and light sources.
Note: When you’re working with a symmetrical object such as a porcelain jar in your still life composition, make sure the angles are on the same horizontal line.
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5. Since the scale of the objects is small, she uses small brushes when painting the individual objects, and uses large brushes for areas such as the background.
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6. Here we see Cornelia using a small brush to add highlights to the glass bottle of the composition, but she says you can also use something like a palette knife, depending on the highlights you’re adding.
When adding details, she says it can be better to omit them rather than include too many – you don’t want them to “argue” with the focal point of your still life composition.
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7. As she puts the final touches on the alla prima still life, she says, “Step back, squint, and also have your eyes wide open – travel back and forth between different modes of observation.”
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