plate no. 8324
Sunset in Creuse
Armand Guillaumin, 1898
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing for atmospheric perspective and layering brushstrokes to create texture and depth. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the hills, castle ruins, and river, paying attention to the overall composition.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a light wash of yellows, pinks, and purples.
- step 03
Establish the dark values of the central hill and the river using dark browns and blues.
- step 04
Begin layering colors on the hills, using reds, oranges, and browns to create the autumn foliage.
- step 05
Add details to the castle ruins, using grays and browns to define their form.
- step 06
Paint the foreground with greens and yellows, suggesting the grassy field.
- step 07
Refine the details of the trees, adding branches and leaves with smaller brushstrokes.
- step 08
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension throughout the painting.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · titanium white
secondary · alizarin crimson · sap green · raw umber
Mix various shades of orange and red by combining burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, and yellow ochre. Create muted greens by mixing sap green with raw umber and white. Achieve atmospheric perspective by lightening and muting colors as they recede into the distance.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·color mixing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details, losing the impressionistic feel.
- →Using colors straight from the tube without mixing, resulting in a flat, uninteresting palette.
- →Ignoring the importance of value contrast, leading to a lack of depth.
- →Not simplifying the forms enough, making the painting look cluttered.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
- ·odorless mineral spirits (for cleaning brushes)
optional
- ·easel
- ·painting medium
- ·varnish
Use a medium-textured canvas to allow for better paint adhesion and texture. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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