plate no. 3338

66. The Church at Longton 2017 by Anthony D. Padgett (after Van Gogh Auvers Sur Oise 1890)

Anthony Padgett, 2017

oilPost-Impressionismsymbolic paintingchurchbuildingskyfiguregrasspath

what to study here

It shows how unblended, directional strokes in a sky can coexist with a calm, hard-edged building, and how blue repeated across the canvas ties a warm church into it.

The sky carries this painting. The vision analysis describes it as overlapping rectangular strokes of different blue saturations, laid side by side and left unblended, with cream-white and pale-blue patches breaking through. It takes up the upper two-thirds, and the energy comes from stroke direction and the edges where colors abut. Study how that restlessness is held in check by the church below it. The church reads as a simplified, warm red-brick mass with clean, hard deep-indigo outlines around windows, door frame and corners. Those contours are the darkest darks and separate the building from the busy sky. Note the value grouping: sky light to mid, church mid to warm, shadows dark. Then look at the foreground. A small figure in blue stands on a pale lavender path, and the grass is broken into patches of yellow-green and deeper green. Foreground edges are slightly softer, but strokes stay visible. Notice how cool blues in the sky return in the figure and door, and how the warm brick sits against them. Compare the sky strokes with the path marks, which are directional and suggest the plane.

key decision

The painter left the sky as visible, unblended rectangular strokes while giving the church crisp deep-indigo outlines. This keeps the building legible against the active sky.

recreation guide

This artwork, 'The Church at Longton 2017' by Anthony D. Padgett, is a Post-Impressionist symbolic painting executed in oil. It serves as a homage to Vincent van Gogh’s 'Auvers Sur Oise' (1890), adapting the subject matter to a contemporary or personal location while retaining the stylistic hallmarks of the Post-Impressionist movement. The work likely emphasizes expressive brushwork, vibrant color contrasts, and a focus on the emotional resonance of the landscape rather than strict photorealism. As a symbolic painting, it may imbue the church structure with metaphorical weight, consistent with the genre's tendency to layer meaning onto visual forms.

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (tube)	Primary medium for color application	—
Linseed oil	General purpose drying oil for mixing paint and glazing	—
Safflower or Poppyseed oil	Mixing lighter colors like white to prevent yellowing	—
Canvas or Linen support	Surface for painting; linen is historically linked to flax, the source of linseed oil	—
Palette knives and brushes	Application of paint, particularly for impasto or textured effects common in Post-Impressionism	—
Siccatives (optional)	To accelerate drying time if working in layers	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a linen or canvas support. Historically, linen is a common support for oil painting, derived from the same flax plant as linseed oil (Source 1). Prime the surface with a traditional oil ground or acrylic gesso to ensure proper adhesion of the oil layers. Given the Post-Impressionist style, a slightly textured surface may be beneficial for holding impasto brushstrokes.

underdrawing

While specific preparatory methods for Anthony Padgett are not detailed in the sources, Post-Impressionist artists often used loose, expressive underdrawings or directly applied paint. If an underdrawing is used, it should be light and non-intrusive, allowing the final color layers to dominate. Avoid rigid, precise lines that would contradict the expressive nature of the style.

underpainting

Consider using a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) technique. This involves painting the composition in neutral tones (black, white, and perhaps ultramarine) to establish values and forms before applying color glazes (Source 5). This method, practiced by old masters, allows for greater control over light and shadow. Alternatively, a direct alla prima approach may be used, consistent with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist practices, where paint is applied wet-on-wet.

color palette

White

Titanium White or Zinc White mixed with safflower or poppyseed oil

Highlights and light areas; these oils yellow less than linseed oil (Source 1)

Blues and Greens

Ultramarine, Cerulean, Viridian, Phthalo Green

Sky, foliage, and shadows; consistent with Van Gogh’s palette in Auvers

Yellows and Oranges

Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Orange

Sunlight, wheat fields, and architectural highlights; Van Gogh’s Auvers features vibrant yellows

Reds and Purples

Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red, Dioxazine Purple

Contrasting accents and shadows; used to create simultaneous contrast (Source 7)

composition

Apply principles of visual composition to organize the artwork. Ensure there is a clear center of interest, likely the church itself, to prevent the image from becoming a mere pattern (Source 4). Position the horizon line to emphasize either the sky or the ground, avoiding an exact bisection of the picture space (Source 4). Use leading lines, such as paths or architectural elements, to guide the viewer’s eye around the composition before leading it out of the picture (Source 4). Balance the prominent subject with smaller satellite elements to avoid a static, centered composition (Source 4).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the main forms of the church and landscape on the primed canvas using charcoal or thinned oil paint.
Tip — Keep lines loose and expressive; avoid rigid precision.
Underdrawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille underpainting using black, white, and ultramarine to establish values and forms. Allow to dry completely.
Tip — Focus on light and shadow rather than color at this stage.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin applying color glazes over the dry underpainting. Use transparent layers of oil paint to build up color intensity.
Tip — Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color; scumbling involves semi-opaque painting (Source 5).
Glazing

refining

step 04
Add impasto brushstrokes to key areas, such as the sky and foliage, to create texture and movement. Use thicker paint for highlights.
Tip — Vary brushstroke direction and length to enhance the expressive quality.
Impasto

finishing

step 05
Adjust color contrasts and values. Ensure that small, high-contrast elements have sufficient impact to balance larger, duller areas (Source 4).
Tip — Use the law of simultaneous contrast to enhance color vibrancy (Source 7).
Color Contrast

varnishing

step 06
Once the painting is completely dry, apply a protective varnish to unify the surface and enhance color depth.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully cured to avoid trapping solvents.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing involves applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting, while scumbling uses semi-opaque paint to allow the underlying layer to show through. This method was practiced by old masters and can be used to achieve complex color interactions (Source 5).

Color Contrast

Utilize the law of simultaneous contrast, where juxtaposing colors enhances their perceived intensity. This principle helps in harmonizing colors inherent to the subject and those chosen by the artist (Source 7).

Compositional Balance

Avoid exact bisections and center the subject off-center to create dynamic balance. Use leading lines to guide the viewer’s eye through the composition (Source 4).

common pitfalls

→Using linseed oil for white pigments, which can lead to yellowing over time; use safflower or poppyseed oil for lighter colors (Source 1).
→Creating a static composition by centering the subject or bisecting the horizon line; ensure dynamic balance and off-center placement (Source 4).
→Ignoring the drying time of oil paints, which can lead to cracking or poor adhesion between layers; allow sufficient drying time between glazes (Source 1).
→Overworking the paint, which can muddy colors and lose the expressive quality of the brushstrokes; maintain confidence in initial applications.

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 Padgett’s personal technique or palette preferences are not provided in the sources.
·The exact symbolic meanings intended in 'The Church at Longton' are not detailed, requiring interpretation based on general Post-Impressionist and symbolic painting conventions.
·No specific information on the artist’s use of siccatives or other modern additives is available.

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 Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Color contrast and harmony principles

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to Materials selection, drying oils, and pigment properties
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 6 — applied to Compositional principles, center of interest, and horizon line placement

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Light pours from above, creating a dramatically patterned sky of overlapping blue and white brushstrokes that dominate the upper two-thirds of the composition. The church—a warm red-brick structure—sits in the middle distance with a prominent steeple rising against this restless sky. A single figure in blue stands on a lavender path in the immediate foreground, anchoring your eye before the composition pulls it up toward the church entrance. The grass surrounding the path is broken into rhythmic patches of yellow-green and deeper green, creating visual movement that mirrors the sky's energy.

value structure

The darkest darks are the deep indigo outlines and shadows around the church's architectural features—windows, door frame, corners. The lightest lights are concentrated in the sky's cream-white and pale-blue patches and the figure's clothing. Three distinct value groups emerge: the sky (predominantly light-to-mid), the church and roof (mid-to-warm), and the shadows cast on building surfaces (dark). Squinting reveals the church holds the mid-range; the sky alternates bright and medium; the foreground path reads as light-lavender against darker grass.

observed palette and mixes

#74abc9
cerulean blue with touch of white
mid-tone sky rectangles, building outlines, shadows
#b9d3e0
cerulean blue + generous titanium white
light sky patches, sky highlights, path edges
#a85a3a
burnt umber + yellow ochre
church brick body, warm building tones
#c9b892
yellow ochre + white
roof highlights, grass patches beneath roof
#6b9e2f
sap green + yellow ochre
grass areas, foliage masses
#d4c9a8
titanium white + yellow ochre + touch blue
foreground path, pavement surface

edges and brushwork

The sky exhibits the most aggressive directional brushwork—visible rectangular strokes of varying blue saturations laid side-by-side, creating texture and energy without blending. The church building reads as simplified forms with clean, hard outlines rendered in deep blue-indigo that define edges rather than soften them. The foreground and grass receive slightly more blended transitions, but individual strokes remain visible; the path uses directional marks to suggest plane and direction.

a working sequence

01
Establish the restless sky
Block in the upper two-thirds with cerulean blue, using your flat brush to lay overlapping rectangular strokes horizontally and diagonally. Leave irregular gaps for light blue and white patches—don't blend these edges; let them abut. The sky should feel active and almost grid-like in places, darker deeper blue toward the top, lighter toward the horizon line where the church silhouette will sit.
02
Define the church silhouette and key proportions
Mix a deep indigo (cerulean + burnt umber) and with your round brush, draw the church's outline: the steep roof line, the right spire, the main body corners, and the arched entrance. Use the figure as your scale reference—roughly 4-5 figure-heights to the top of the spire. Keep these lines clean and visible; they anchor everything else.
03
Warm the church body with layered brick tones
Mix burnt umber + yellow ochre to a warm burnt-orange. Fill the church walls, leaving the deepest shadows (around the right side and beneath roof) darker. The brick face should read as a unified warm mass with subtle internal shadow variation. The window openings stay deep blue or indigo—don't fill them with detail yet.
04
Add roof structure and highlights
The roof slopes at roughly 45 degrees on each side. Use purple-violet (blue + burnt umber + touch white) for the shadowed left roof plane. Use yellow ochre + white for the illuminated patches catching light—you'll see golden-yellow rectangles on the upper roof. Blend these softly where they meet; the roof should show both color temperature shift and visible brushwork.
05
Establish foreground path and grass masses
Paint the path in pale lavender (white + touch cerulean + touch burnt umber). The path leads directly to the church entrance and should feel like it's receding slightly. On either side, block in grass with sap green + yellow ochre, broken into distinct patches where you see yellow-greens and deeper greens. Leave your brushstrokes visible—don't over-blend; let colors sit side-by-side.
06
Place the figure and accent pole
On the left side of the path, paint a small vertical form in cerulean blue—this is your figure viewed from behind. It should be roughly 1/5 the height of the church. On the right, place a dark purple cross or pole shape. These are spatial anchors; keep them simple and solid.
07
Define architectural details with precision
Return to your deep indigo-blue and your round brush. Draw the Gothic arched windows, the door frame around the bright blue entrance door, the stone detailing, and the cross atop the spire. These lines clarify structure. Paint the entrance door itself in a bright, clear cerulean blue—it's a focal point.
08
Refine shadows and deepen contrasts
Darken the right side of the church and any recessed areas with deep shadows (indigo + burnt umber). Reinforce the tree foliage on the left with darker green. Check your value range: the sky's light patches should feel luminous against the church; the church should feel solid against both. Add final touches to the grass—more definition in the yellow-green patches.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Over-blending the sky—it needs visible brushstrokes and color edges to sing. Resist the urge to smooth; let rectangles of color sit adjacent and create rhythm.
Softening the church outline too early. Keep those indigo contours crisp; they're what makes the building read as form against the churning sky.
Making the grass a uniform green mass. The visible yellow-green patches are essential—they catch light and break up the foreground. Paint them distinctly.
Losing the figure in proportion or detail. It's small and simple, rendered mostly in one blue tone, but its placement in the path is compositionally vital for spatial recession.

measured difficulty