Don't start painting until everything is within arm's reach. Once your hands have paint on them, you don't want to be searching for a brush or a rag. Treat this like surgery prep — everything laid out, clean, ready. Check off each item below as you gather it.
Your most-used colour for Vermeer. His paintings are luminous — full of light. White controls every value. You will use three times more white than any other pigment. Like adding milk to tea — it controls the brightness of everything.
Vermeer's signature colour. He used natural lapis lazuli ground from Afghan stone — the most expensive pigment in history. French Ultramarine is the modern equivalent. Deep, warm blue. Like the colour of a clear sky just after sunset.
Replaces Vermeer's Lead-Tin Yellow. For the warm golden tones in sunlit areas — bread crusts, brass tacks, the edge of a pearl earring catching light. Like the colour of butter or pale gold.
Natural earth pigment. Warmer and more muted than Cadmium Yellow. For walls, floors, warm skin areas. Like the colour of dry sand or pale terracotta.
Warm dark earth. For the monochrome underpainting and shadow areas. Transparent when thinned — lets the layers underneath glow through. Like dark chocolate melted thin.
Warm reddish-brown. Sits between Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber. For the warmest mid-tone skin passages and warm accents in shadow. Like the colour of cinnamon or a new copper penny.
Used sparingly. Only for the deepest accents — pupils, the darkest corner of a room. Vermeer's paintings are about light, not darkness. A little goes a long way.
Softer brushes than Rembrandt or Caravaggio. Vermeer blended with extraordinary smoothness — no visible brushstrokes. Synthetic or sable, not stiff hog. The brush should feel like stroking velvet. Hold it gently — like holding a baby bird. Let the softness do the work.
For pointillé highlights — the tiny dots of thick paint that represent specular light on bread crusts, pearl earrings, brass nails. Must hold a perfect point. Like using a pin to place a single drop of paint.
For mixing only. Keep mixes clean and separate. Vermeer's colour is pure because the pigments are never contaminated by careless mixing. Treat each mix like a separate recipe.
Vermeer painted on smooth surfaces. The smoother the surface, the more seamlessly you can blend. Fine-weave linen is ideal. If using cotton canvas, sand gently between gesso coats for a smoother tooth. Think of the difference between writing on rough cardboard vs smooth paper.
For thin transparent glazes. Vermeer built colour in layers — each one nearly see-through. Liquin thins paint to a glaze consistency and speeds drying between layers. Mix until the paint looks like stained glass — you can almost see through it.
For the smoothest blending. A drop mixed into paint makes it buttery and slow-drying. Use sparingly — too much and the paint becomes soupy and slides off. Like adding olive oil to a pan — just enough to coat.
For cleaning brushes between colours. Pour a shot-glass amount into a jar. Dip, wipe on rag, dip, wipe. Keep brushes clean — Vermeer's colour purity depends on uncontaminated mixes.
Tear-off sheets. Grey background for accurate colour judging. Vermeer's colour is subtle — you need the grey to see the differences between warm and cool mixes.
For blending, wiping, cleaning. Vermeer's smoothness sometimes comes from gently pressing a clean paper towel onto wet paint to remove brushstrokes. Like ironing a shirt — gentle pressure, lift straight up.
Open VOLUX studio. Upload your photo. Click Vermeer. The soft window light, pearly skin, and blue-white atmosphere appear. Place it next to your canvas.
A4 PDF with your ticks. Save it, share it, or print it.
Easel or table? An easel is ideal — it keeps the canvas at eye level and lets you step back easily. But a table works fine if you prop the canvas at a slight angle.
Lighting is critical for Caravaggio. You need soft natural daylight from a window on your LEFT side. Not direct sunlight — overcast daylight or a north-facing window is perfect. The light should feel gentle, like a cloudy morning — a desk lamp, clamp light, or single window with all other curtains closed. Turn off overhead lights and lamps. You want ONLY the window light. The room should feel calm and evenly lit — no harsh shadows anywhere. You are recreating Vermeer's actual studio: one window, soft quiet daylight filling the room naturally. If you can see a soft diffused shadow — barely visible, with no hard edge, you have the right setup.
How to hold your brush. Not squeezed tight like a pen. Grip it in the middle of the handle — like holding a conductor's baton. For bold strokes, move your whole arm from the shoulder. Your wrist does detail work. Your shoulder does confidence. If your hand cramps, you are gripping too hard. Relax. The brush does the work, not your muscles.
Lighting. Natural daylight from a window is best. If painting at night, use a daylight-balanced bulb (5000-6500K) positioned to your left. Never paint under warm yellow tungsten light — it shifts all your colour decisions warm, and the painting looks wrong in daylight.
Your device. Place your phone or tablet where you can see the VOLUX reference. Prop it 30-60cm from your painting spot, screen facing you.
Choose only one master — Nature.
Attributed to Rembrandt van RijnEach step expands when you tap it. Take as long as you need, and move on only when you're satisfied with your work.