plate no. 7144
Meridional Landscape
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in loose brushwork and color mixing to create atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.
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: road, buildings, and trees.
- step 02
Block in the sky and distant sea with thin washes of color.
- step 03
Establish the basic values of the road, using light and shadow.
- step 04
Paint the buildings with simplified shapes and colors, focusing on the light hitting the surfaces.
- step 05
Add the trees, using loose brushstrokes to suggest foliage.
- step 06
Refine the details of the road and buildings, adding texture and variation.
- step 07
Add the fence and other minor details.
- step 08
Review and adjust the overall composition and color balance.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt umber
secondary · sap green · titanium white · cadmium red light
Mix greens by combining blue and yellow. Create earth tones by mixing umber with yellow and red. Use white to lighten values and create highlights.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·alla prima
- ·color temperature
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details
- →Using too much detail in the background
- →Creating muddy colors by over-mixing
- →Ignoring the light source
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a medium-textured canvas for better brushwork.
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