plate no. 7164
Headpiece for 'Good for the Soul'
Howard Pyle, 1898
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and rendering form with loose brushstrokes. It also provides practice in depicting a complex subject like a horse and carriage in motion.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the road, hills, horse and carriage, and buildings.
- step 02
Establish the horizon line and basic perspective of the road.
- step 03
Block in the large areas of color: sky, road, hills, and trees, using thin washes.
- step 04
Add darker values to define the shadows and forms of the horse, carriage, and trees.
- step 05
Begin to refine the details of the horse and carriage, paying attention to anatomy and proportion.
- step 06
Add details to the landscape, such as the stone walls and buildings.
- step 07
Use dry brush techniques to create texture in the road and foliage.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to create depth and visual interest.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue
secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre · sap green
The road color is achieved by mixing raw umber, white, and a touch of red. Greens are created by mixing blue, yellow ochre and a touch of raw umber to dull them.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early
- →Creating mud by over-mixing colors
- →Ignoring the perspective of the road
- →Failing to capture the movement of the horse
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a medium-grit canvas for better texture. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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