plate no. 3652
Great Tree at Mártély
Janos Tornyai, 1910
some experience helpful
This painting provides practice in layering colors and creating form with visible brushstrokes. Students will learn to simplify a complex subject into basic shapes and values.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes: horizon line, tree outline, and foreground.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a thin layer of light blue, leaving some areas unpainted for texture.
- step 03
Paint the foreground with a dark brown, establishing the basic shape and value.
- step 04
Begin layering the tree with dark browns and oranges, using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 05
Add highlights to the tree with lighter oranges and yellows, focusing on areas where light hits.
- step 06
Refine the shapes and edges of the tree, adding darker values in the shadows.
- step 07
Add the small figure and the pole on the right.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to create depth and atmosphere.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · cadmium orange
secondary · titanium white · raw sienna
Mix browns by combining burnt umber and ultramarine blue. Create lighter oranges by mixing cadmium orange with yellow ochre and titanium white. Vary the blues in the sky by adding white and a touch of yellow ochre.
techniques
- ·broken brushstrokes
- ·layering
- ·color mixing
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
- →Making the colors too saturated and not capturing the muted tones.
- →Not establishing a strong value structure before adding color.
- →Creating too much symmetry in the tree shape.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·cadmium orange oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a canvas with a slightly textured surface to enhance the brushwork. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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