plate no. 6731
Mount's Bay, Early Morning in the Summer
Henry Moore, 1886
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the movement of water. It also provides practice in subtle color mixing and layering to create depth.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Prepare a canvas with a light blue-gray ground.
- step 02
Sketch the horizon line and the basic shapes of the landmass in the distance.
- step 03
Block in the sky with broad strokes, layering blues, grays, and whites to suggest cloud formations.
- step 04
Establish the base color of the sea, using a mix of blues and greens.
- step 05
Begin to define the waves, using darker blues and greens for the shadows and lighter tones for the highlights.
- step 06
Add details to the clouds, using small brushstrokes to create texture and form.
- step 07
Refine the wave details, adding white highlights to suggest breaking waves and foam.
- step 08
Adjust the overall values and colors to create a sense of atmospheric perspective.
color palette
primary · cerulean blue · titanium white · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · raw umber · viridian
Achieve the sky colors by mixing blues with white and small amounts of yellow ochre. The sea colors are created by blending blues and greens, with raw umber added for darker shadows.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·broken color
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details in the waves, resulting in a stiff or unnatural appearance.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
- →Using colors that are too saturated, resulting in a harsh or unrealistic effect.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value within the sky and sea.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints (cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, titanium white, yellow ochre, raw umber, viridian)
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·rags
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·retouch varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a fast-drying medium to speed up the drying time of the oil paints.
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