plate no. 0245

Dune landscape

Theo van Doesburg, 1912

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapelandscapehillsskycloudsvegetation

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying a complex scene 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
Sketch the basic shapes of the hills and sky.
step 02
Block in the main color areas with thin washes.
step 03
Start layering darker greens and browns for the shadows.
step 04
Add lighter greens and yellows for the highlights.
step 05
Use short, directional brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Define the edges of the hills and clouds.
step 07
Add final details and highlights to the vegetation.
step 08
Review and adjust values and colors as needed.

color palette

primary · viridian green · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

secondary · titanium white · burnt umber

Mix greens by combining blue and yellow. Use white to lighten values and create highlights. Add small amounts of burnt umber to darken greens and create shadows.

techniques

·broken color
·impasto
·scumbling
·layering

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, losing the texture.
→Making the values too uniform, lacking contrast.
→Getting the proportions of the hills incorrect.
→Using too much detail, making the painting look overworked.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (viridian green, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, titanium white, burnt umber)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (flat and round)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or mineral spirits
·rags