plate no. 7213
Harvesting, Forest of Birse, Aberdeenshire
Joseph Farquharson, 1900
recreation guide
Joseph Farquharson’s 'Harvesting, Forest of Birse, Aberdeenshire' (1900) is a landscape work that aligns with his documented practice of depicting Scottish rural life and natural scenery. Farquharson, known as 'The Painting Laird,' was a prolific Scottish painter whose career was defined by landscapes often featuring animals and human figures engaged in everyday labors (Source 3). While he is most famous for snowy winter scenes, his broader oeuvre includes depictions of burns, fly fishing, and general rural surroundings inspired by his estate at Finzean in Aberdeenshire (Source 3). This specific work, titled 'Harvesting,' suggests a focus on agricultural activity within a forested setting, consistent with his tendency to include human figures in dramatic landscapes (Source 3). The style is identified as Realism, which in the context of late 19th-century landscape painting often involved a careful observation of nature, potentially influenced by the Romantic tradition’s emphasis on the 'heroic status' of the working countryside (Source 8).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
7 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for the artwork | — |
| Canvas or linen panel | Support surface | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Oil of copavia (or modern damar/resin substitute) | Medium for glazing and scumbling, as referenced in historical practice | Linar oil or stand oil mixed with damar varnish |
| Earth pigments (ochres, umbers) | For creating fixed, covering tones in landscape elements | Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna |
| White lead or Titanium White | For highlights and mixing tints | Titanium White (modern safe equivalent) or Flake White (historical) |
| Black pigment | For shadows and tonal contrast | Ivory Black or Mars Black |
| Ultramarine | For sky and cool shadows, consistent with Reynolds' method cited in sources | Ultramarine Blue |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared with a ground that allows for the layering techniques described in historical oil painting practices. While Farquharson’s specific ground preparation is not detailed in the sources, the general practice of the period and the techniques described in Source 1 suggest a stable, dry ground is necessary before applying glazes. A traditional oil ground or a gesso ground would be appropriate to support the 'glazing and scumbling' techniques mentioned (Source 1).
underdrawing
Farquharson’s specific underdrawing methods are not explicitly described in the provided sources. However, as a realist painter trained at the Trustees' Academy and influenced by Peter Graham (Source 3), he likely employed a careful preliminary sketch to establish the composition of the landscape and figures. The sources do not provide evidence of whether he left visible underdrawings or covered them completely.
underpainting
The sources describe a technique of 'colouring a monochrome' or grisaille, where the artist mentally extracts red and yellow colors to create a neutral base (Source 1). This method, attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds and practiced by old masters, involves painting the first and second layers with black, ultramarine, and white (Source 1). This underpainting establishes the tonal values before color is added. Farquharson, working in a realist tradition that valued structural integrity, may have employed a similar tonal underpainting to ensure the landscape’s depth and form were correct before applying local colors.
color palette
Earth tones (Ochres, Umbers)
Natural ochres, burnt sienna, raw umber
General use in landscape painting for fixed, covering tones and drying easily (Source 2)
White
White lead or chalk white
Highlights and mixing tints; part of the basic palette mentioned by Reynolds (Source 1)
Black
Ivory black or grapestone black
Shadows and tonal contrast; part of the basic palette mentioned by Reynolds (Source 1)
Ultramarine
Ultramarine blue
Sky and cool shadows; part of the basic palette mentioned by Reynolds (Source 1)
Red and Yellow tones
Red ochre, yellow ochre, vermilion
Applied via glazing and scumbling over the monochrome underpainting to add warmth and local color (Source 1)
composition
The composition likely features a wide view of the Forest of Birse with elements arranged into a coherent composition, as is typical for landscape painting (Source 4). Farquharson’s works often include human figures engaged in labor, which would be integrated into the landscape to provide scale and narrative (Source 3). The sky is almost always included in such views, and weather may be an element of the composition (Source 4). The specific arrangement of trees and harvesting figures is not detailed in the sources, but the general practice of including figures in dramatic landscapes is noted (Source 3).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition lightly, establishing the placement of the forest, the harvesting figures, and the horizon line. Ensure the perspective and scaling for distance are coherent (Source 5).
Tip — Focus on the broad masses of the landscape rather than fine details.
Preliminary sketch
underpainting
step 02
Create a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white. Mentally extract red and yellow colors to establish the tonal values of the scene (Source 1).
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is quite dry before proceeding to avoid muddying the colors.
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Apply the first layer of color using earth pigments like ochres and umbers for the landscape elements. These pigments are chosen for their fixedness and covering qualities (Source 2).
Tip — Use these colors to establish the local hues of the trees, ground, and figures.
Direct painting
refining
step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil to add red and yellow tones. Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color, while scumbling involves a semi-opaque painting that allows the underlying painting to show through (Source 1).
Tip — When scumbling over a darker ground, be aware that it tends to coldness, which can be used to create a grey bloom effect (Source 1).
Glazing and Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Refine the details of the figures and the forest, ensuring that the contrast of color and tone produces a true gradation of light (Source 7).
Tip — Pay attention to the juxtaposition of colors to enhance the visual impact through simultaneous contrast (Source 7).
Chiaroscuro
varnishing
step 06
Once the painting is completely dry, apply a varnish to protect the surface and enhance the depth of the glazes.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully cured to prevent trapping solvents.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Used to add color over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing adds transparent color, while scumbling adds semi-opaque color, allowing the underpainting to influence the final tone (Source 1).
Grisaille Underpainting
A monochrome base using black, ultramarine, and white to establish tonal values before adding color. This method is attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds and practiced by old masters (Source 1).
Use of Earth Pigments
Ochres and umbers are used for their fixedness, covering qualities, and ease of drying, providing a stable base for the landscape (Source 2).
Simultaneous Contrast
Juxtaposing colors to enhance their visual impact and create a true gradation of light, particularly in the details of the landscape and figures (Source 7).
common pitfalls
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddying and chemical reactions (Source 1).
- →Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can result in a smallness of effect (Source 6).
- →Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast, which can lead to a lack of harmony and visual impact in the composition (Source 7).
- →Using colors that are not substantial or fixed, which can lead to changes in the painting over time (Source 2).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific details of the composition of 'Harvesting, Forest of Birse, Aberdeenshire' are not described in the sources, so the exact arrangement of figures and trees is inferred from general practice.
- ·Farquharson’s specific palette choices for this particular painting are not documented, so the palette is inferred from general landscape painting practices and the sources provided.
- ·The exact medium Farquharson used for glazing and scumbling is not specified, though oil of copavia is mentioned in the context of Reynolds’ method (Source 1).
- ·The specific underdrawing technique Farquharson employed is not detailed in the sources.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting and glazing techniques
- ON COPYING — applied to General advice on technique and avoiding pitfalls
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Palette selection and pigment properties
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints — applied to Color theory and contrast
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Joseph Farquharson↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist’s general practice and subject matter
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to Composition and genre conventions
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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