plate no. 6529
A White Road at Late Afternoon
Robert Julian Onderdonk, 1921
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and layering colors to create depth. It also provides practice in capturing the texture of foliage with varied brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 10 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the road's perspective and the placement of trees.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue, gradually lightening towards the horizon.
- step 03
Establish the distant hills with muted blues and purples, using lighter values for further away.
- step 04
Lay in the base colors for the trees and foliage, using darker greens for shadows and lighter greens for highlights.
- step 05
Paint the road with a mix of grays and blues, adding subtle variations in color to suggest texture.
- step 06
Add details to the trees, using broken brushstrokes to create the effect of leaves.
- step 07
Develop the foreground vegetation with a mix of warm and cool colors, paying attention to the play of light and shadow.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the values to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · titanium white · viridian green
secondary · burnt sienna · alizarin crimson · cadmium yellow light
Mix greens by combining blue and yellow, and grays by mixing complementary colors. Use white to lighten values and create atmospheric perspective.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·dry brushing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details, losing the impressionistic feel.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth with atmospheric perspective.
- →Using colors that are too saturated, resulting in an unnatural look.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·flat brushes (various sizes)
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·easel
Use a medium-textured canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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