plate no. 9705
New England Birches
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in depicting atmospheric perspective and simplifying complex scenes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the mountain, trees, and buildings.
- step 02
Block in the sky and mountain with diluted washes of color, establishing the overall value structure.
- step 03
Begin layering the background foliage with broken brushstrokes, using a variety of greens, blues, and yellows.
- step 04
Paint the tree trunks with thin, vertical strokes, varying the color and thickness to create depth.
- step 05
Add details to the buildings, using small, precise strokes to define the shapes and shadows.
- step 06
Develop the foreground foliage with thicker paint and more visible brushstrokes, creating texture and depth.
- step 07
Refine the details and adjust the colors as needed, paying attention to the overall harmony of the painting.
- step 08
Add final highlights to the trees and foliage to create a sense of light and atmosphere.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · burnt umber · viridian green · cadmium red light
Mix greens by combining blue and yellow, and grays by mixing complementary colors. Use white to lighten values and create atmospheric perspective.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·dry brush
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the impressionistic feel.
- →Creating flat, uniform colors instead of using broken color.
- →Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating depth.
- →Making the tree trunks too uniform and lacking variation.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·mineral spirits
- ·oil paints
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas to allow for better paint adhesion and texture. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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