plate no. 5407
GRASSHOPPER
Peter Doig, 1999
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering washes and creating depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in simplified representation of natural forms.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, indicating the tree trunks and the general shapes of the foreground elements.
- step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted blue/gray for the sky and background, allowing it to drip slightly to suggest the verticality of the trees.
- step 03
Paint the tree trunks with a thin mixture of burnt sienna and white, varying the thickness and spacing.
- step 04
Add darker brown details to the tree trunks to create texture and depth.
- step 05
Block in the foreground shapes with a light orange/yellow wash.
- step 06
Layer darker greens and browns for the grass, using vertical strokes to mimic the blades.
- step 07
Refine the details of the grass and foreground, adding highlights and shadows.
- step 08
Let dry and add final touches to balance the composition.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · sap green
Mix the background sky by diluting ultramarine blue with white. Achieve the tree trunk color by mixing burnt sienna with white, and vary the shade by adding more or less of each. Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·layering washes
- ·dry brushing
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details in the trees.
- →Making the foreground too bright and distracting.
- →Not allowing washes to dry properly before layering.
- →Creating too much symmetry in the tree arrangement.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ultramarine blue acrylic paint
- ·burnt sienna acrylic paint
- ·titanium white acrylic paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
- ·water container
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·retarder medium
- ·easel
Using a medium-grain canvas will provide a nice texture for the paint to adhere to. Diluting the acrylics with water will create a watercolor-like effect.
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