plate no. 2654

September Morning, Plainfield, New Hampshire

Willard Metcalf, 1911

oil, canvasImpressionismlandscapelandscapevillagetreesskybuildingshills

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and atmosphere, as well as capturing the subtle variations in light and shadow across a landscape. It's a good exercise in impressionistic brushwork and color mixing.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch outlining the main shapes: the hill, the village buildings, and the foreground field.
step 02
Block in the sky with light blues and whites, paying attention to the cloud formations.
step 03
Establish the basic colors of the hill and trees, using darker greens and browns in the shadows and lighter greens and yellows in the highlights.
step 04
Paint the village buildings, focusing on their shapes and relative sizes. Use muted colors to suggest distance.
step 05
Develop the foreground field with varying shades of green and brown, adding texture with short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Add details to the trees and foliage, using a variety of greens, yellows, and browns.
step 07
Refine the details of the buildings, including the church steeple and the rooftops.
step 08
Add final touches to the sky, clouds, and foreground to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · sap green · cerulean blue · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · cadmium red light · raw sienna

Mix greens by blending blues and yellows, and create muted tones by adding small amounts of complementary colors. Achieve atmospheric perspective by lightening and desaturating colors as they recede into the distance.

techniques