plate no. 7515

Hollywood

Thomas Hart Benton, 1938

oilRegionalismgenre paintingfiguresfilm setindustrywaterbuildingsmachinery

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in complex composition, figure drawing, and rendering industrial and architectural forms with accurate perspective. It also provides practice in mixing a wide range of skin tones and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 30 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch to map out the major compositional elements and perspective lines.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and vanishing points to guide the placement of buildings and figures.
step 03
Block in the large shapes of the background elements (sky, water, buildings) with thin washes of color.
step 04
Start building up the foreground elements, focusing on the figures and machinery.
step 05
Pay close attention to the light source and how it affects the values and colors of the objects.
step 06
Refine the details of the figures, including facial features and clothing.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a cohesive and balanced composition.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · ivory black · viridian

Mix skin tones using variations of burnt sienna, raw umber, and white, with touches of red and yellow for warmth. Create atmospheric perspective by adding blue to distant objects.

techniques

·underpainting
·glazing
·scumbling
·linear perspective
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Getting lost in the complexity of the composition and losing sight of the overall design.
→Failing to establish a strong sense of perspective, resulting in a flat or distorted image.
→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the initial sketch.
→Inconsistent light source creating confusing shadows.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 24x36
·oil paints (raw umber, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, ivory black, viridian)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags