plate no. 1995
Afternoon Along The River
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting atmospheric perspective and rendering soft, diffused light. It also provides practice in painting figures in a naturalistic setting.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figures, tree, and boat.
- step 02
Establish the sky with soft, blended washes of blue, pink, and white.
- step 03
Block in the large shapes of the tree, field, and water with broad strokes.
- step 04
Develop the tree's foliage using layers of browns, greens, and grays, creating texture with varied brushstrokes.
- step 05
Paint the figures, paying attention to their proportions and the way light falls on them.
- step 06
Add details to the boat and surrounding vegetation.
- step 07
Refine the reflections in the water, using broken color to suggest movement.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to bring the painting to life.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · sap green
secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · cerulean blue
Achieve the muted greens by mixing sap green with raw umber and titanium white. Use alizarin crimson and titanium white to create the soft pinks in the sky. Browns are achieved by mixing raw umber with small amounts of yellow and red.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·wet-on-dry layering
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Creating overly saturated colors.
- →Failing to establish a clear value structure.
- →Ignoring the effects of atmospheric perspective.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·sap green oil paint
- ·cerulean blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. Consider using a glazing medium to enhance the luminosity of the colors.
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