plate no. 9670
61. The Combine Harvester After Reaper with Sickle 2017 by Anthony D. Padgett (after Van Gogh Saint Remy 1889)
Anthony Padgett, 2017
recreation guide
This artwork, 'The Combine Harvester After Reaper with Sickle 2017' by Anthony D. Padgett, is a symbolic post-Impressionist reinterpretation of Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 work. It translates the historical agricultural scene into a modern context while retaining the expressive brushwork and color theory associated with the Post-Impressionist style. The painting likely employs the principles of simultaneous and mixed contrast to harmonize the inherent colors of the machinery and landscape, ensuring that the modifications of light and tone are perceived accurately despite the symbolic nature of the subject (Source 2). The composition avoids exact bisections and utilizes a center of interest to guide the viewer’s eye, consistent with general compositional rules for engaging visual structures (Source 4).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (pigment + drying oil) | Primary medium for the painting | Standard tube oil paints mixed with linseed or walnut oil |
| Linseed oil or Walnut oil | Drying oil medium; linseed is general purpose, walnut yellows less for lighter tones | Refined linseed oil or walnut oil from art supply stores |
| Varnish | Used in later stages for glazing and scumbling to gain mastery over transparent and semi-opaque layers | Dammar or synthetic resin varnish |
| Canvas or linen support | Surface for oil application | Primed cotton or linen canvas |
| Grisaille pigments (Black, Ultramarine, White) | Creating the monochrome underpainting to establish value structure before color application | Carbon black, Ultramarine blue, Titanium or Zinc white |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific priming methods for Padgett are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting practice involves a ground that allows for the layering techniques described. The sources suggest a method where a monochrome preparation (grisaille) is applied first, implying the surface must be stable enough to support multiple layers of glazing and scumbling (Source 1).
underdrawing
The sources do not specify Padgett’s underdrawing method. However, the technique described involves a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) rather than a detailed linear drawing. The artist mentally extracts red and yellow colors to translate what would be left in nature, focusing on value and form in the initial stages (Source 1).
underpainting
A grisaille underpainting is likely employed. This involves painting the composition in monochrome tones (using black, ultramarine, and white) to establish the value structure. This step is crucial for mentally extracting the red and yellow colors, allowing the artist to focus on the underlying forms and light modifications before introducing color (Source 1).
color palette
Red and Yellow tones
Transparent red and yellow pigments mixed with oil or varnish
Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce color, mimicking the tinting of an engraving
Grey/Neutral tones
Black, Ultramarine, White
The initial grisaille underpainting to establish value and form
Complementary contrasts
Dependent on the specific hues used, but likely involving blues/oranges or greens/reds
Harmonizing colors based on the law of simultaneous contrast, where contiguous colors modify each other's appearance
composition
The composition likely adheres to principles that prevent the work from becoming a mere pattern. A center of interest should be established to guide the viewer's eye around all elements before leading out of the picture. Exact bisections of the picture space are avoided, and the horizon line is positioned to emphasize either the sky or the ground, rather than dividing the artwork equally. Small, high-contrast elements may be used to balance larger, duller areas, ensuring the prominent subject is off-center unless a formal symmetry is desired (Source 4).
step by step
underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underpainting
step 01
Create a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white. Focus on establishing the value structure and forms of the combine harvester and landscape.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, visualizing the scene as if these colors were not present to focus on form and light.
Grisaille
first pass
step 02
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Begin applying transparent coats of color (glazing) using oil as a medium.
Tip — Apply red and yellow tones as they occur in the composition, similar to tinting an engraving with watercolors.
Glazing
refining
step 03
Use semi-opaque painting (scumbling) over the glazes, particularly over darker grounds, to create coldness or grey blooms where needed.
Tip — Ensure the underlying painting makes itself felt through the semi-opaque layer. Watch for the tendency towards coldness when scumbling over dark areas.
Scumbling
finishing
step 04
Refine color harmonies by considering simultaneous contrast. Adjust tones so that the lightest tones are lowered and darkest heightened if colors are not of the same tone.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may see the result of a color and the complementary of a previously seen color, leading to inaccurate perception. Adjust accordingly.
Simultaneous Contrast
step 05
Final adjustments using a mix of varnish and oil for greater mastery over the transparent and semi-opaque effects.
Tip — This step requires sufficient mastery to handle the mixed medium effectively.
Varnish Glazing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color, while scumbling is a semi-opaque painting technique. These are used to build up color and tone over a dry monochrome underpainting, allowing the underlying structure to influence the final appearance.
Simultaneous Contrast
The painter must perceive and imitate the modifications of light and color caused by contiguous colors. This ensures that the colors harmonize and that the viewer perceives the intended tones despite the eye's susceptibility to fatigue and complementary afterimages.
common pitfalls
- →Failing to let the grisaille dry completely before glazing, which can muddy the colors.
- →Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and disharmonious tones.
- →Overusing scumbling over dark grounds without accounting for the tendency towards coldness or grey blooms.
- →Creating exact bisections in the composition, which can make the artwork appear static or pattern-like.
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 details of Anthony D. Padgett’s personal palette or brushwork style are not provided in the sources.
- ·The exact visual layout of the combine harvester and landscape is not described, so compositional advice is generalized.
- ·Specific pigments used by Padgett are not listed, so general oil painting pigments are suggested.
- ·The symbolic meaning of the 'Reaper with Sickle' reference is not detailed, so the focus remains on technical execution.
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, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color harmony and perception adjustments
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to Materials and medium selection
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 6 — applied to Compositional structure and balance
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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