plate no. 9309
Mount Lefroy
J. E. H. MacDonald, 1932
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle variations and practice applying paint in distinct, visible strokes to build texture and form. Students will also learn to simplify complex landscapes into geometric shapes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: mountains, large rock formations, and the foreground rocks.
- step 02
Establish the horizon line and the general composition.
- step 03
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the sky and mountains.
- step 04
Begin layering colors on the rock formations, paying attention to the light and shadow.
- step 05
Add details to the foreground rocks, using a variety of colors and brushstrokes.
- step 06
Paint the trees with short, vertical strokes.
- step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to create depth.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the form.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna
secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · viridian green · purple
Achieve the mountain colors by mixing white with small amounts of blue, yellow ochre, and burnt sienna. Create the rock colors by blending green, purple, and brown with white for highlights and darker mixes for shadows.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·impasto
- ·scumbling
- ·color layering
- ·geometric abstraction
common pitfalls
- →Over-blending the colors, which can result in a muddy appearance.
- →Failing to simplify the complex shapes of the rocks and mountains.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the shadows and highlights.
- →Not creating enough contrast between the foreground and background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 6, 8)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a canvas with a medium texture to enhance the brushstrokes.
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