plate no. 1196

Eucalyptus Forest

Eyvind Earle, 1987

oilMagic Realismlandscapetreesforestlandscapeskyfoliageground

some experience helpful

This painting provides practice in creating depth through layering and color variation, as well as developing fine motor skills for detailed linework in the tree branches. Students will also learn to simplify complex forms into stylized shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the trees and the horizon line.
step 02
Establish the background color with a gradient from light to dark green.
step 03
Block in the large shapes of the central hill with dark blues and reds.
step 04
Add the lighter, bare trees in the foreground with thin, pale yellow lines.
step 05
Paint the detailed branch structures of the foreground trees, focusing on varying line thickness.
step 06
Add the foliage details using small dots and dashes of red, blue, and black.
step 07
Paint the horizontal lines of the ground, varying the spacing to create perspective.
step 08
Refine the details and add highlights to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · dark green · red · blue · black

secondary · pale yellow · light green

Mix various shades of green by combining blue and yellow with white or black. Achieve the red and blue foliage colors by mixing primary colors with black for darker tones and white for lighter highlights.

techniques

·layering
·dry brushing
·scumbling
·linework
·color blocking

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall simplicity.
→Making the colors too uniform and not creating enough depth.
→Failing to vary the line thickness in the branches, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Not establishing a clear light source, leading to a lack of dimension.