plate no. 8434
STUDY. TREE IN COURTYARD
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in loose brushwork and capturing the effects of light and shadow on various surfaces. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.
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 shapes: tree, building, wall, and ground plane.
- step 02
Establish the basic color blocks for the sky, wall, building, and ground using thin washes.
- step 03
Begin building up the tree mass with darker greens and browns, indicating the shadow areas.
- step 04
Add lighter greens and whites to suggest foliage and blossoms, using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 05
Define the wall with variations of browns and oranges, capturing the texture with visible brushstrokes.
- step 06
Refine the shadows on the ground and wall to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Add details to the building, keeping it simple and slightly out of focus.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to unify the painting.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · titanium white · sap green · yellow ochre
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson
Mix various shades of brown by combining burnt umber with white, yellow ochre, and a touch of crimson. Achieve the greens by mixing sap green with yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Use white and a touch of blue for the sky.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·alla prima
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details, losing the loose and expressive quality.
- →Making the colors too saturated or uniform.
- →Neglecting the importance of shadows in creating depth.
- →Failing to simplify the complex forms of the tree.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·sap green oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·round brushes size 4 and 8
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium (e.g., Liquin)
- ·easel
Use a medium-textured canvas to enhance the brushwork. Thin the oil paints with linseed oil for smoother application.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
