plate no. 8668

Midday Landscape

Chaim Soutine, 1918

oil, canvasExpressionismlandscapelandscapetreeshillsskyfigurevegetation

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and color mixing to create dynamic landscapes. Students will also learn to simplify complex scenes into basic shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the hills, trees, and sky.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin layer of blue, allowing some canvas to show through.
step 03
Establish the darkest values in the trees and shadows using dark green and brown mixtures.
step 04
Begin layering the hills with ochre, yellow, and touches of orange, building up texture with visible brushstrokes.
step 05
Add highlights to the foliage with lighter greens and yellows, using short, broken strokes.
step 06
Indicate the figure with simple dark shapes, adding a few touches of color for detail.
step 07
Refine the transitions between colors and values, blending where necessary but maintaining the expressive brushwork.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to enhance the overall composition.

color palette

primary · Prussian Blue · Yellow Ochre · Cadmium Yellow · Burnt Sienna

secondary · Viridian Green · Cadmium Red · Titanium White

Mix greens by combining blues and yellows, adjusting the ratio for different shades. Create earth tones by mixing browns, yellows, and blues. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques

·Impasto
·Broken color
·Wet-on-wet blending
·Scumbling
·Expressive brushwork

common pitfalls

→Over-blending, losing the texture and energy of the brushstrokes.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Getting lost in details too early.

materials

surface · Stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 16x20
·Oil paints (Prussian Blue, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Viridian Green, Cadmium Red, Titanium White)
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Rags