plate no. 0351
Nattestemning Med Ildebrande I St-vast-là-haut Nær Valenciennes
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students understand how to create atmospheric perspective and use a limited palette to convey mood. It also provides practice in using expressive brushstrokes to suggest form and texture.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Prepare a toned canvas with a dark brown or gray underpainting.
- step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the landscape and buildings.
- step 03
Block in the darkest areas of the composition with a dark brown or black.
- step 04
Begin adding the warm tones of the fire and light sources, using loose brushstrokes.
- step 05
Work on the atmospheric perspective by gradually lightening the values of the background elements.
- step 06
Add details to the fire and light sources, using brighter yellows and oranges.
- step 07
Refine the shapes of the silhouettes and add any final details.
- step 08
Add the red signature.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · yellow ochre · black
secondary · cadmium yellow · cadmium orange · raw sienna
Mix burnt umber and black for the dark areas. Use yellow ochre and raw sienna for the base of the highlights. Add cadmium yellow and orange to create the fire colors.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·limited palette
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the loose, expressive quality.
- →Making the dark areas too uniform and lacking depth.
- →Not creating enough contrast between the light and dark areas.
- →Using too many colors and creating a muddy effect.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·black oil paint
- ·round brushes
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·cadmium yellow oil paint
- ·cadmium orange oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
A toned canvas will help to create a more unified and atmospheric effect. Use a medium to thin the oil paints and improve their flow.
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