plate no. 4576
Pastoral
Arthur Streeton, 1888
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, as well as understanding atmospheric perspective to depict distance. It also provides practice in capturing the essence of a scene with loose, expressive brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 10 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the trees and the horizon line.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue, leaving space for clouds.
- step 03
Establish the dark masses of the trees and foliage using a mix of browns and greens.
- step 04
Add the distant field and cows with muted colors, paying attention to atmospheric perspective.
- step 05
Layer in the mid-ground foliage, varying the greens and adding hints of yellow and brown.
- step 06
Create texture in the foreground with short, broken brushstrokes, suggesting grass and wildflowers.
- step 07
Add highlights to the foliage and grass to create a sense of light and shadow.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the colors as needed to achieve the desired effect.
color palette
primary · sap green · raw umber · cerulean blue · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · cadmium yellow light
Mix greens by combining blues and yellows with touches of brown. Achieve atmospheric perspective by lightening and muting colors as they recede into the distance.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·wet-on-dry layering
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
- →Making the colors too saturated and not achieving a sense of depth.
- →Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating form.
- →Failing to capture the subtle variations in color and texture.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·oil paints
- ·round brushes (#2, #6)
- ·flat brushes (#4, #8)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·palette knife
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas to allow for texture. Consider using a limited palette of colors to simplify the mixing process.
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