plate no. 3828

Santa Fe Hills

Leon Kroll, 1917

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapeskycloudsmountainsbuildingsfigureslandscape

some experience helpful

This painting offers a good opportunity to practice atmospheric perspective and simplified form representation. Students can learn to create depth using color and value changes, and to suggest details rather than rendering them precisely.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the horizon line and the placement of the buildings and mountains.
step 02
Block in the sky with broad strokes, establishing the dark and light areas of the clouds.
step 03
Paint the distant mountains, using cooler and lighter colors to create atmospheric perspective.
step 04
Block in the buildings with a warm, earthy tone, paying attention to the light and shadow.
step 05
Add details to the buildings, such as doors and windows, using simple shapes and lines.
step 06
Paint the figures with simplified forms and dark colors.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to the clouds and buildings to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust the colors as needed.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

secondary · sap green · raw umber · cadmium yellow

Mix various shades of blue and white for the sky and clouds. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the buildings, adding white to lighten the tones. Mix ultramarine blue and yellow ochre for the mountains.

techniques

·wet-on-wet blending
·broken color
·atmospheric perspective
·simplified forms

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
→Using colors that are too saturated and not creating enough atmospheric perspective.
→Making the brushstrokes too small and fussy.
→Not establishing a clear value structure.