plate no. 0470

Emerald Fog

Eyvind Earle, 1993

oilMagic Realismlandscapelandscapehillstreeswaterskyfoliage

some experience helpful

This painting is great for practicing color blocking and creating smooth gradients. Students will also learn how to simplify complex forms into basic shapes.

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, water, and sky, focusing on the overall composition.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color for the sky, water, and land using flat, even tones.
step 03
Add the darker values to define the shadows on the hills and under the trees.
step 04
Introduce the lighter values to create highlights on the hills and water.
step 05
Paint the tree shapes as dark masses, paying attention to their rounded forms.
step 06
Add small dots of color (red, yellow, green) to the trees to represent foliage.
step 07
Create the misty effect in the sky and water by layering translucent washes of color.
step 08
Refine the edges of the shapes and add any final details.

color palette

primary · teal · olive green · yellow ochre

secondary · red · dark green · light yellow

Mix different shades of green by combining yellow ochre and teal. Achieve lighter tones by adding white to the base colors.

techniques

·color blocking
·smooth blending
·layering
·scumbling
·dry brushing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the simplicity of the shapes.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Not achieving smooth transitions between color blocks.
→Making the foliage too uniform and lacking variation.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas
·Acrylic paints (teal, olive green, yellow ochre, red, dark green, light yellow, white)
·Set of synthetic brushes (flat and round)
·Palette
·Water container
·Paper towels
·Palette knife
·Ruler