plate no. 7714
A Study of Talloires
Leon Dabo, 1939
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create atmospheric perspective and using expressive brushstrokes to capture the essence of a landscape. It also encourages simplification of forms and focusing on overall mood.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the mountains, trees, and cloud formations.
- step 02
Establish the horizon line and the general areas of the sky, mountains, and foreground.
- step 03
Block in the sky with broad strokes, mixing blues, purples, and whites.
- step 04
Apply the base color for the mountains, using a mix of white, gray, and a touch of blue or purple.
- step 05
Add shadows and highlights to the mountains to create depth and form.
- step 06
Paint the trees with quick, gestural strokes, focusing on their silhouette and placement.
- step 07
Develop the foreground with muted greens and grays, suggesting the ground plane.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the colors and values as needed to achieve the desired atmospheric effect.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt umber
Mix white with small amounts of blue and crimson to create the various shades of the sky and clouds. Use burnt umber and yellow ochre to create earth tones for the ground and trees.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the spontaneity of the brushstrokes.
- →Creating too much contrast and flattening the atmospheric perspective.
- →Making the colors too saturated and losing the muted, harmonious effect.
- →Neglecting the importance of the initial sketch and composition.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·alizarin crimson oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·medium round brush
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a medium-sized canvas to allow for expressive brushstrokes. Consider using a toned canvas to create a more unified color harmony.
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