plate no. 3917
Coming Home from the Mill
L. S. Lowry, 1928
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in simplifying complex scenes and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective. It also offers practice in rendering figures in a stylized, simplified manner.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings and chimneys, paying attention to their relative sizes and positions.
- step 02
Lightly block in the ground plane and horizon line.
- step 03
Establish the sky with a thin wash of grey, allowing some texture to show through.
- step 04
Paint the buildings using a limited palette of browns, reds, and greys, varying the tones to suggest depth.
- step 05
Add the chimneys and smoke, blending the edges to create a hazy effect.
- step 06
Paint the figures as simple shapes, using dark colors to create contrast against the lighter background.
- step 07
Add details such as windows and doors, keeping them simple and stylized.
- step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting values and adding subtle highlights to create a sense of depth.
color palette
primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · ivory black
secondary · titanium white · payne's gray
Mix various shades of gray by combining ivory black and titanium white. Use raw umber and burnt sienna to create warm browns for the buildings, and add a touch of black to darken the tones.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·simplified figure drawing
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overcomplicating the details of the buildings.
- →Making the figures too realistic.
- →Using too many colors, which can muddy the overall effect.
- →Not creating enough contrast between the foreground and background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·payne's gray oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·painting medium
A slightly textured canvas will enhance the dry brush effect. Consider using a toned canvas to establish a base color.
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