plate no. 3820

Springtime in Sussex

Tom Roberts, 1921

oilImpressionismlandscapelandscapetreesfieldhousefiguresky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and atmosphere, as well as using broken color to represent textures in nature. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the horizon line, the placement of the house, and the division of the field.
step 02
Establish the sky with a thin wash of light blue and white, allowing some areas to remain unpainted for highlights.
step 03
Block in the large shapes of the trees and foliage with muted greens, blues, and browns, paying attention to the overall value structure.
step 04
Apply a base layer of yellow to the field, varying the tone to suggest undulation and sunlight.
step 05
Add darker values to the shadows under the trees and along the fence line to create depth.
step 06
Use short, broken brushstrokes to build up the texture of the foliage and the field.
step 07
Paint the house with a mix of grays and browns, suggesting its form with subtle value changes.
step 08
Add the figure in the foreground with minimal detail, using a light color to make it stand out.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · burnt umber · sap green · cadmium yellow light

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Achieve atmospheric perspective by adding white to colors as they recede into the distance.

techniques

·broken color
·layering
·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details, losing the freshness of the impressionistic style.
→Creating overly saturated colors that don't match the muted tones of the original.
→Failing to establish a clear value structure, resulting in a flat and unconvincing landscape.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations within the shadows and highlights.