plate no. 1575
Pewsey Vale
Hans Heysen, 1933
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and layering watercolor washes to create depth and form. It also provides practice in rendering foliage and cloud formations.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the hills, trees, and clouds.
- step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted blue and grey to the sky area.
- step 03
Paint the distant hills with a pale wash of green and brown, adding subtle shadows.
- step 04
Begin layering washes of green and brown for the foreground hills, varying the intensity to create depth.
- step 05
Add details to the trees, using a smaller brush to create foliage and branches.
- step 06
Define the shadows and highlights on the hills and trees to create form.
- step 07
Refine the cloud formations with subtle washes of grey and white.
- step 08
Add final details and touch-ups to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · sap green · raw umber · cerulean blue
secondary · burnt sienna · payne's gray · yellow ochre
Mix greens by blending blue and yellow. Use raw umber and burnt sienna to create earth tones. Dilute colors with water to achieve transparency.
techniques
- ·watercolor washes
- ·wet-on-dry layering
- ·dry brush texture
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·glazing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the washes, leading to muddy colors.
- →Failing to create enough contrast between the foreground and background.
- →Making the colors too saturated.
- →Not allowing each layer to dry completely before applying the next.
materials
surface · watercolor paper 140lb
required
- ·watercolor paints
- ·watercolor paper (140lb)
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·flat brush
- ·palette
- ·water container
- ·masking tape
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·gouache
- ·watercolor pencils
Use high-quality watercolor paper to prevent buckling. Experiment with different brush sizes to achieve varying levels of detail.
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