plate no. 9198
Procession near Ploumanach
Léon Augustin Lhermitte, 1879
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the essence of a scene with loose, expressive brushstrokes. It also provides practice in depicting figures in a landscape setting.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main elements: horizon line, church, cross, and path.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of muted blues and grays.
- step 03
Establish the basic landforms and buildings with earth tones.
- step 04
Add the figures, focusing on their shapes and positions rather than details.
- step 05
Refine the details of the church and cross, adding shadows and highlights.
- step 06
Develop the path and foreground with varying tones and textures.
- step 07
Add final touches to the sky and landscape, softening edges and creating atmospheric perspective.
- step 08
Glaze to unify the painting.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ivory black
Mix muted grays and blues for the sky by combining white, blue, and a touch of umber. Achieve earth tones by blending umber, sienna, and ochre.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·broken color
- ·glazing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details, losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
- →Creating too much contrast, flattening the atmospheric perspective.
- →Making the figures too detailed and distracting from the overall scene.
- →Not establishing a clear focal point.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a medium-textured canvas to allow for expressive brushstrokes.
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