plate no. 2354
Night in the Steppe
Ivan Marchuk, 1983
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop control over fine brushstrokes and learn how to create atmospheric perspective with subtle color variations. It also provides practice in creating a focal point through value contrast.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Prepare a toned canvas with a mid-tone brown.
- step 02
Lightly sketch the horizon line and the basic shapes of the water and land.
- step 03
Block in the sky with a darker brown, leaving a circle for the moon.
- step 04
Paint the moon with a light yellow, adding subtle highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Using a fine brush, apply short, directional strokes to create the texture of the sky, varying the color slightly with each stroke.
- step 06
Paint the land and water with similar short strokes, using darker browns and greens in the foreground and lighter, more reflective colors in the water.
- step 07
Add highlights to the water to suggest moonlight reflecting on the surface.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the values to create depth and atmosphere.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · raw sienna · payne's gray
Mix burnt umber with yellow ochre and white to create the various shades of brown and yellow in the sky and land. Use Payne's gray to darken the shadows and add depth.
techniques
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·directional brushstrokes
common pitfalls
- →Applying too much paint at once, which will obscure the texture.
- →Making the brushstrokes too uniform, which will flatten the image.
- →Failing to create enough contrast between the sky and the land.
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall atmospheric effect.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·small round brush
- ·small flat brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A smooth canvas surface will make it easier to apply the fine brushstrokes.
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