plate no. 7924
Blossoming Trees
William H. Johnson, 1938
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and layering colors to create texture and depth. It also encourages simplification of forms and capturing the essence of a scene rather than precise detail.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the trees, flowers, and background elements using light pencil lines.
- step 02
Apply a thin wash of yellow and green to establish the base color of the field.
- step 03
Block in the dark shapes of the tree trunks and foliage with dark brown and green.
- step 04
Begin layering the flower blossoms with thick strokes of pink, white, and touches of yellow.
- step 05
Add highlights and shadows to the flowers to create dimension and form.
- step 06
Paint the background hills and sky using broad strokes of blue, green, and purple.
- step 07
Refine the details of the flowers and foliage, adding smaller strokes and variations in color.
- step 08
Add final touches and adjust the overall composition as needed.
color palette
primary · yellow · green · pink · white
secondary · blue · brown · purple · red
Mix various shades of pink by combining white with a touch of red. Create different greens by mixing yellow and blue, and vary the tones by adding small amounts of brown or white.
techniques
- ·impasto
- ·broken color
- ·expressive brushwork
- ·color layering
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Being too precise with the details and not capturing the overall impression.
- →Using colors straight from the tube without mixing and creating variations.
- →Not establishing a strong value structure before adding color.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·assorted brushes
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·rags
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·apron
Use a medium-sized canvas to allow for expressive brushstrokes. Consider using a fast-drying medium to speed up the drying time.
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