plate no. 4400

Avenue of plane trees

Santiago Rusinol, 1916

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapetreesforestleavespathautumnlandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and color mixing to create depth and realism in a landscape. It also provides practice in rendering tree bark texture and the subtle color variations of autumn leaves.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement and size of the trees and the path.
step 02
Establish the background colors, including the sky and the distant trees, using thin washes.
step 03
Block in the main tree trunks with a base color, paying attention to their varying widths and angles.
step 04
Add details to the tree trunks, including highlights, shadows, and texture, using dry brush techniques.
step 05
Paint the leaves on the ground, varying the colors and values to create a sense of depth and texture.
step 06
Add the darker foliage on the sides, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to create a sense of atmosphere and depth.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the realism of the painting.

color palette

primary · gray · burnt sienna · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · sap green · raw umber

Mix grays by combining white with small amounts of burnt umber, ultramarine blue, and yellow ochre. Achieve the autumn leaf colors by blending burnt sienna with yellow ochre and touches of red or brown.

techniques

·dry brush texture
·atmospheric perspective
·color mixing
·layering
·broken color

common pitfalls

→Failing to create a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
→Making the tree trunks too uniform in color and texture.
→Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
→Not varying the colors of the leaves enough, resulting in a flat, uninteresting ground plane.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (gray, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, sap green, raw umber, titanium white)
·round brushes (#2, #6)
·flat brushes (#4, #8)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·palette
·palette knife