plate no. 1535

Paradise

oilNorthern Renaissancereligious paintingtreesanimalslandscapefiguresbirdsfoliage

advanced study

Recreating this painting would develop skills in rendering complex foliage, creating depth through atmospheric perspective, and accurately depicting a wide variety of animal forms. It also requires careful planning of a very busy composition.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 40 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch outlining the major shapes: the tree, the horizon line, and the general areas for the animal groupings.
step 02
Establish the background landscape using thin washes of blues and greens, focusing on atmospheric perspective to create depth.
step 03
Block in the larger masses of trees and foliage, paying attention to the overall value structure.
step 04
Start adding details to the main tree, building up layers of browns and grays to create texture and form.
step 05
Begin painting the animals, starting with the larger ones and gradually working towards the smaller details.
step 06
Pay close attention to the anatomy and proportions of each animal, using reference photos as needed.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create form and dimension, and use subtle color variations to bring the animals to life.
step 08
Finally, add the smaller details such as the birds, flowers, and other foliage, and make any necessary adjustments to the overall composition.

color palette

primary · earthy greens · browns · blues

secondary · reds · yellows · whites · grays

Achieve the various shades of green by mixing blues and yellows with touches of brown and white. Use glazes of transparent colors to create depth in the foliage.

techniques