How to Paint a Roses and Apples Modernist Study in Acrylics

Описание: xIn this video, I’m taking you inside the studio to demonstrate how to create a modernist still life painting in acrylics, inspired by the wonderful Irish modernist Mary Swanzy. Although “modernism” is over a century old now, its ideas of simplifying form, exploring structure, and playing with perspective still feel incredibly fresh and exciting.

I’ll be working from a simple still life reference and transforming it into a stylized, angular composition—taking cues from Cubism and the expressive colour harmonies Swanzy used throughout her career. One of the things I admire most about her is the way she never abandoned the styles she learned—she carried them with her, revisiting and recombining them. That’s very much the spirit of today’s painting.

What You’ll Learn in This Tutorial:

How to prepare a textured acrylic surface using gesso and a wide household brush

Why acrylics are especially useful for building layered, evolving compositions

How to simplify shapes into geometric, modernist forms

Approaches to colour mixing and tonal contrast for depth and energy

Using dry brushing to reveal texture and create lively surface effects

Whether you’re new to acrylics or looking to expand your visual language, this project shows how to take a familiar subject—flowers, fruit, a vase—and turn it into something expressive, personal, and contemporary.

Materials Used:

Acrylic paints (W&N, Golden, Liquitex, Sennelier.)

Acrylic Gesso (Liquitex Basics here)

Bright/flat brushes + a household paint brush for texture

Acrylic-ready paper or canvas

Hairdryer (optional but very useful!)

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Resources & Extras:

E-books, painting guides, merch, prints & original paintings: links below in the description

Thank you for supporting the channel — it truly helps me keep these lessons free for everyone. Now, let’s get painting!

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🖌️ Paint oils. Paint small. Paint often.
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