plate no. 3841
Maple Sugar Season
Horace Pippin, 1941
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and understanding how to create texture with visible brushstrokes. It also encourages observation of light and shadow in a winter landscape.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes: cabin, trees, snow drifts, and the path.
- step 02
Block in the main colors: dark greens/browns for the forest, whites/grays for the snow, and browns/reds for the cabin and tree.
- step 03
Add the details of the cabin, including the windows and roof.
- step 04
Paint the tree trunk with visible vertical brushstrokes, using a mix of browns and reds.
- step 05
Add the bucket hanging on the tree.
- step 06
Create the snow drifts with thick, textured brushstrokes, using highlights and shadows to define the forms.
- step 07
Paint the path with a light gray color and add the footprints using a darker gray.
- step 08
Refine the details and add any final touches.
color palette
primary · titanium white · burnt umber · payne's gray
secondary · cadmium red · yellow ochre
Mix white with small amounts of burnt umber and Payne's gray to create the various shades of snow. Use burnt umber and cadmium red to create the brown/red tones for the cabin and tree.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·dry brush texture
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·impasto
common pitfalls
- →Over-blending the colors, which can flatten the image.
- →Making the snow too white and not capturing the subtle shadows.
- →Not simplifying the shapes enough, leading to a cluttered composition.
- →Ignoring the direction of the brushstrokes, which contributes to the texture.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·payne's gray oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·painting medium
Use a medium-textured canvas to enhance the brushstroke visibility. Consider using a limited palette to capture the mood.
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