plate no. 2595
A Winter's Morning
recreation guide
Joseph Farquharson’s 'A Winter's Morning' is a landscape executed in oil, adhering to the Realist style. While specific visual details of this particular composition are not described in the provided sources, Farquharson’s work generally falls within the tradition of oil painting where the artist utilizes the medium’s capacity for illusion and texture. The recreation relies on traditional oil painting techniques, including the use of solvents to adjust drying times and the 'fat over lean' principle to ensure structural integrity (Source 1). The process emphasizes the expressive capacity of oil paint, allowing for adjustments in translucency, sheen, and body through the use of additional media like cold wax or resins if desired (Source 1).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 4-6 sessions, allowing for oxidation drying times between layers
materials
7 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (artist grade) | Primary medium for color application | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and increase oil content for 'fat over lean' layering | — |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent to thin paint for initial layers, clean brushes, and remove wet paint if necessary | — |
| Canvas | Support surface | — |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | Initial sketching of the subject onto the canvas | — |
| Paintbrushes, palette knives, and rags | Application and manipulation of paint; rags and knives allow for scraping or texturing | — |
| Cold wax or resins (optional) | To adjust translucency, sheen, or density of the paint film | — |
preparation
surface prep
The canvas should be prepared according to standard oil painting practices. While specific priming methods for Farquharson are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting often involves a ground that allows for proper adhesion. The artist may sketch the subject directly onto the prepared surface using charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1).
underdrawing
Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint. This initial step establishes the composition and forms before paint application (Source 1). Contour drawing principles may be applied here to emphasize mass and volume rather than minute detail, focusing on the outlined shape of the landscape elements (Source 8).
underpainting
Consider employing a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) technique. This involves painting the initial layers in neutral tones, mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish values and forms. Once this grisaille is quite dry, it serves as a foundation for subsequent glazing and scumbling (Source 3). This method was practiced by old masters and helps in managing the complexity of light and atmosphere in a winter landscape.
color palette
Neutral Grays/Browns
Black, white, and earth tones
Grisaille underpainting to establish values without color interference (Source 3)
Winter Whites/Blues
White, ultramarine, and lead white (historical)
Snow and sky areas; Farquharson’s realism likely required careful modulation of these tones to depict winter light
Warm Accents
Yellow and red tones
Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce color, particularly in areas where light reflects or in distant atmospheric effects (Source 3)
Dark Values
Black, ultramarine
Shadows and depth; Reynolds noted using black and ultramarine in early layers (Source 3)
General Palette
Standard oil colors
General use; the artist has choice in colors not inherent to the model, such as sky tones, to harmonize the composition (Source 5)
composition
While specific compositional details of 'A Winter's Morning' are not provided, Farquharson’s Realist style likely involved careful observation of nature. The artist may have selected colors for the sky and atmospheric effects to harmonize with the inherent colors of the landscape, substituting true colors with neighboring scales to achieve desired effects (Source 5). The composition should aim for broad masses, avoiding excessive smallness or over-modeling, which can detract from the overall impact (Source 7).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the landscape composition onto the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. Focus on the mass and volume of trees, snow, and sky rather than fine details.
Tip — Ensure the sketch captures the essential forms and perspective.
Contour drawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a grisaille layer using neutral tones (black, white, ultramarine) to establish values. This layer should be lean (mixed with more solvent than oil) to dry quickly.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on value structure.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin applying color. Use glazing (transparent coats) and scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to introduce yellow and red tones, particularly in areas of light and atmospheric depth.
Tip — Ensure each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below ('fat over lean') to prevent cracking.
Glazing and Scumbling
refining
step 04
Refine details and textures using brushes, palette knives, or rags. Oil paint remains wet longer than other media, allowing for adjustments to color, texture, or form. If necessary, remove wet paint with a rag and turpentine.
Tip — Avoid over-modeling; maintain broad masses for a cohesive composition.
Wet-on-wet adjustment
finishing
step 05
Allow the painting to dry by oxidation. This process can take up to two weeks for the surface to be dry to the touch. Apply varnish if desired to enhance sheen and protect the surface.
Tip — Do not apply subsequent layers until the previous one is sufficiently dry to avoid cracking.
Oxidation drying
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish to unify the sheen and protect the paint film. This can also aid in adjusting the final translucency and density of the paint.
Tip — Use a high-quality varnish compatible with oil paints.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Fat over Lean
Each additional layer of paint must contain more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking. This is a basic rule of oil paint application.
Glazing and Scumbling
Glazing involves applying transparent coats of color, while scumbling uses semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create coldness or grey blooms. These techniques were used by old masters to build color and depth.
Grisaille Underpainting
Painting the initial layers in monochrome to establish values before introducing color. This helps in managing the complexity of the scene and allows for precise color application in later stages.
Contour Drawing
Using lines to emphasize the mass and volume of the subject, focusing on the outlined shape rather than minor details. This provides a strong foundation for the painting.
common pitfalls
- →Applying lean layers over fat layers, which can lead to cracking and peeling of the paint film (Source 1).
- →Over-modeling or becoming too tied to outlines, which can result in a small, timid appearance rather than broad, expressive masses (Source 7).
- →Attempting to deceive the eye with excessive realism at the expense of the medium’s vitality; art should be an expression of feeling through painted symbols, not just a substitute for nature (Source 4).
- →Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast, which can lead to inaccurate color perception and application, especially when juxtaposing different tones and colors (Source 5, Source 6).
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 visual details of 'A Winter's Morning' (e.g., exact tree placement, sky conditions, presence of figures) are not described in the sources.
- ·Farquharson’s specific palette preferences for winter landscapes are not detailed; general oil painting practices are used instead.
- ·The exact year of creation is not available, so period-specific material constraints are inferred from general oil painting history.
- ·No specific information on Farquharson’s use of cold wax or resins is provided; their inclusion is optional based on general oil painting techniques.
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
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding over-modeling and focusing on broad masses
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of using oil paint as an expressive medium rather than just a deceptive tool
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Understanding color harmony and contrast in landscape composition
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it... — applied to Perceiving and imitating light modifications and color interactions
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to General oil painting techniques, fat over lean rule, drying times, and use of solvents
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- Contour drawing — part 1 — applied to Underdrawing technique emphasizing mass and volume
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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