plate no. 1686

Colored sky above the Marais

Emil Nolde, 1940

watercolor, paperExpressionismlandscapelandscapeskyfieldhousecloudssunset

some experience helpful

This painting provides an opportunity to practice wet-on-wet watercolor techniques and explore color blending to create atmospheric effects. Students can learn to simplify forms and capture the essence of a landscape using expressive brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 4 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the horizon line and the basic shapes of the house and fields.
step 02
Apply a light wash of yellow to the areas where the light is hitting the field and sky.
step 03
Mix a dark gray/blue and apply it to the sky using wet-on-wet technique, allowing colors to blend.
step 04
Add touches of green and blue to the sky to create depth and variation.
step 05
Paint the field with varying shades of green and yellow, blending them together.
step 06
Define the shape of the house with dark colors, adding small red details.
step 07
Add a few dark accents to represent distant objects or shadows.
step 08
Allow the painting to dry completely.

color palette

primary · yellow · blue · green

secondary · red · gray · black

Mix greens by blending blues and yellows, create grays by mixing complementary colors, and use varying amounts of water to control the intensity of the colors.

techniques

·wet-on-wet blending
·color mixing
·atmospheric perspective
·layering
·simplified forms

common pitfalls

→Overworking the colors and losing the freshness of the washes.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
→Not allowing enough drying time between layers.
→Making the house too detailed and distracting from the overall atmosphere.

materials

surface · watercolor paper 140lb

required

·watercolor paints
·watercolor paper 140lb
·round brushes (various sizes)
·water container
·palette
·masking tape
·pencil

optional

·palette knife
·spray bottle
·kneaded eraser

Use high-quality watercolor paper to prevent buckling and allow for better blending. Experiment with different brush sizes to achieve varying effects.

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