plate no. 7213

Harvesting, Forest of Birse, Aberdeenshire

Joseph Farquharson, 1900

oilRealismlandscapelandscapefieldhaystackshillsskybirds

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and creating depth through layering and color variations. It also offers practice in rendering textures of fields and hay.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the horizon line and the placement of the hill and haystacks.
step 02
Establish the sky with soft, blended blues and whites, paying attention to the cloud formations.
step 03
Block in the distant hills with muted browns and purples, creating a sense of depth.
step 04
Lay in the base color of the field, a mix of greens and yellows, varying the tones to suggest uneven terrain.
step 05
Begin adding the haystacks, starting with the larger ones in the foreground and gradually decreasing in size towards the back.
step 06
Add details to the haystacks, using short, broken brushstrokes to create texture and dimension.
step 07
Introduce the birds in the foreground, using small, dark strokes to define their shapes.
step 08
Refine the details and add highlights to the haystacks and field, paying attention to the direction of light.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · sap green · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, and a touch of burnt umber. Achieve the warm browns of the hills by blending burnt umber, alizarin crimson, and a touch of blue.

techniques

·layering
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·broken color
·dry brushing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the background, losing the sense of depth.
→Making the haystacks too uniform in size and shape.
→Using colors that are too bright and saturated, resulting in a flat and unrealistic landscape.
→Neglecting the subtle variations in tone and color in the field.