plate no. 9118
After Sunset, Georgian Bay
J. E. H. MacDonald, 1931
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students understand how to simplify complex scenes into basic shapes and practice layering colors to create depth and atmosphere. It's also a good exercise in capturing the mood of a landscape through color and brushwork.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: horizon line, tree, islands, and cloud formations.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue, leaving space for the brighter areas around the clouds.
- step 03
Paint the dark blue of the clouds, defining their shapes with visible brushstrokes.
- step 04
Add the lighter, warmer tones to the edges of the clouds to create a sense of light.
- step 05
Block in the water with a base of dark blue-green, then add horizontal strokes of lighter blues and greens to represent the reflections.
- step 06
Paint the islands and foreground with dark greens and browns, adding highlights to suggest form.
- step 07
Add the tree, using dark blues and greens, and suggest the wind-blown shape.
- step 08
Refine details and adjust values to create depth and atmosphere.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · viridian green · burnt umber
Mix blues and yellows to create the various greens for the water and land. Use white to lighten the blues for the sky and reflections. Add a touch of burnt umber to darken and mute colors.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·alla prima
- ·directional brushstrokes
common pitfalls
- →Over-blending the colors, losing the texture and vibrancy.
- →Making the colors too bright and saturated, failing to capture the muted tones.
- →Ignoring the directional brushstrokes that create movement and form.
- →Not simplifying the shapes enough, getting bogged down in details.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas to allow for good paint adhesion and texture. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing and create a harmonious painting.
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