plate no. 6320
Sunrise
Max Meldrum, 1910
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in tonal painting, focusing on subtle value shifts and atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes and masses.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the building, trees, and path.
- step 02
Establish the overall warm tone of the sky with a thin wash of color.
- step 03
Block in the dark masses of the trees and building, focusing on their shapes and placement.
- step 04
Gradually build up layers of color, working from dark to light, to create depth and form.
- step 05
Pay attention to the subtle value changes within the trees and sky to create a sense of atmosphere.
- step 06
Add the figure in the foreground with simple, gestural strokes.
- step 07
Refine the details of the building and trees, but avoid overworking them.
- step 08
Add final highlights to suggest the sunrise.
color palette
primary · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · burnt sienna · ivory black
Achieve the muted tones by mixing raw umber and yellow ochre with white. Use burnt sienna for warmer accents and ivory black to darken the shadows.
techniques
- ·tonal painting
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall tonal harmony.
- →Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
- →Ignoring the subtle value shifts in the sky and trees.
- →Making the figure too detailed and distracting.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a canvas with a smooth surface to facilitate blending. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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