plate no. 7736

In Vegetable Garden

Oleksa Novakivskyi, 1901

oilPost-Impressionismgenre paintingfiguresfieldgardenlandscapevegetationfarmers

some experience helpful

This painting is a good exercise in capturing light and form with expressive brushstrokes and simplified color. Recreating it will help students understand how to suggest detail rather than rendering it precisely.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main figures and the horizon line.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the sky, field, and figures' clothing, using thin washes.
step 03
Begin building up the texture of the field with short, directional brushstrokes, varying the greens and yellows.
step 04
Add details to the figures, focusing on capturing their posture and the fall of light on their forms.
step 05
Introduce darker values to define shadows and create depth.
step 06
Refine the highlights on the figures and in the field to enhance the sense of light.
step 07
Add final touches to the background, suggesting the trees and buildings with simple shapes and colors.
step 08
Review the painting and make any necessary adjustments to the composition, color, and value.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · viridian green · titanium white

secondary · burnt umber · cadmium red · ultramarine blue

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and viridian green. Achieve earth tones by mixing burnt umber with yellow ochre or viridian green. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques

·broken color
·alla prima
·scumbling
·impasto
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Using too much detail in the background, which can distract from the figures.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Not paying attention to the direction of the brushstrokes, which can flatten the image.