plate no. 3593

Burnt Country, Evening. Sketch for 'Burnt Land'

Tom Thomson, 1914

oil, plywoodPost-Impressionismlandscapetreesforestlandscapeskylogswoods

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in impasto and broken color techniques. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main tree trunks and horizon line.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin layer of white mixed with a touch of grey.
step 03
Establish the dark blue/purple background area behind the trees.
step 04
Begin applying thick paint to the tree trunks and branches, using browns, reds, and oranges.
step 05
Add highlights to the trees with lighter shades of brown and white.
step 06
Paint the foreground with a mix of browns, yellows, and greens, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 07
Add details to the fallen logs and ground cover.
step 08
Refine the overall composition and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · burnt sienna · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red · viridian green

Mix browns by combining burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. Achieve the sky color by mixing white with a touch of blue and yellow ochre. The greens are a mix of blue and yellow with varying amounts of white.

techniques