plate no. 7949
Coming of Spring
Frederick McCubbin, 1912
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and atmosphere, and in using broken color techniques to represent textures in nature. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into impressionistic forms.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition, dividing the canvas into foreground, middle ground, and background.
- step 02
Establish the sky with thin washes of blue and white, blending softly.
- step 03
Block in the distant cityscape with muted blues and grays, keeping the details minimal.
- step 04
Paint the middle ground hills and river using a variety of greens, browns, and blues, applying broken color techniques.
- step 05
Develop the foreground foliage with layers of greens, yellows, and browns, using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 06
Add the animal figure with simplified shapes and muted colors, blending it into the surrounding foliage.
- step 07
Refine the details of the trees and foliage, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
- step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed to achieve the desired atmospheric effect.
color palette
primary · sap green · titanium white · cerulean blue · raw umber
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue
Achieve the atmospheric haze by mixing blues and whites with small amounts of raw umber. Create the greens by mixing blues and yellows, and modify with browns for natural variations.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the impressionistic effect.
- →Creating overly saturated colors that detract from the atmospheric mood.
- →Failing to establish a clear sense of depth and perspective.
- →Making the animal figure too prominent and distracting.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·#8 filbert brush
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oils)
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·rags
Use a medium-textured canvas to enhance the broken color effect. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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