plate no. 1839
Peasant Counsel
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in figure painting, color mixing for muted tones, and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It's a good exercise in capturing form with simple shapes and limited values.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figures and landscape.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: sky, ground, clothing, and skin tones.
- step 03
Begin to refine the shapes of the figures, paying attention to the folds in the clothing.
- step 04
Mix and apply subtle variations of color to create depth and form.
- step 05
Add details such as the faces, hands, and walking sticks.
- step 06
Use thicker paint and visible brushstrokes to create texture in the clothing and ground.
- step 07
Refine the edges of the figures and objects to create a sense of depth.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the form.
color palette
primary · titanium white · raw umber · yellow ochre
secondary · burnt sienna · Prussian blue
Achieve the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of raw umber, yellow ochre, and burnt sienna. Use Prussian blue sparingly to cool down the colors.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·color mixing
- ·dry brush
- ·scumbling
- ·impasto
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Using too much detail and losing the overall impression.
- →Not paying attention to the proportions of the figures.
- →Failing to create enough contrast between light and shadow.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·Prussian blue oil paint
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
Use a medium-sized canvas to allow for expressive brushstrokes. Consider using a toned canvas to speed up the painting process.
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