plate no. 8657
Landscape
Grant Wood, 1931
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and practicing visible brushstrokes to build texture. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the hills and fields, paying attention to the horizon line.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light gray.
- step 03
Establish the main color masses for the fields: green for the hill, browns and tans for the lower areas.
- step 04
Begin adding darker values to define the shadows and contours of the hills and fields.
- step 05
Use short, directional brushstrokes to create the texture of the fields and trees.
- step 06
Mix and apply the colors for the trees, varying the tones to suggest light and shadow.
- step 07
Add details to the trees and fields, such as small branches and variations in color.
- step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting values and colors as needed.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · sap green · titanium white
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow · raw sienna
Mix greens by combining sap green with yellow ochre or cadmium yellow. Create browns by mixing burnt umber with yellow ochre and a touch of ultramarine blue. Lighten colors with titanium white.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·broken color
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Making the colors too uniform and not creating enough variation.
- →Failing to establish a clear value structure.
- →Not simplifying the complex forms of the landscape.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes
- ·flat brushes
- ·palette knife
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil (if using oils)
- ·mineral spirits (if using oils)
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·rags
Use a medium-textured canvas to enhance the brushstrokes. Acrylics are faster drying, while oils allow for more blending.
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