plate no. 1357
The Dinner-Hour
Anna Ancher, 1914
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students practice color mixing to achieve subtle variations in light and shadow, and develop skills in depicting perspective and spatial relationships within an interior scene. Students will also learn to create texture with visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the perspective of the doorways and the placement of the objects.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the background walls and floors.
- step 03
Establish the light source and begin to define the areas of light and shadow.
- step 04
Mix and apply the colors for the doorways, paying attention to the subtle shifts in hue and value.
- step 05
Add details to the shoes and other objects in the foreground.
- step 06
Refine the brushwork and add texture to the walls and floors.
- step 07
Adjust the overall color balance and contrast to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · viridian green · titanium white
secondary · burnt umber · cadmium yellow · raw sienna
Mix greens by combining yellow and blue, and adjust the value with white or umber. Achieve the warm yellow glow by mixing yellow ochre with a touch of cadmium yellow and white. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create the dark blue of the door frames.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·color temperature
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Ignoring the perspective of the doorways.
- →Failing to establish a strong light source.
- →Neglecting the subtle color variations in the shadows.
- →Using too much detail in the background.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
- ·oil paints
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·#8 filbert brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·rags
Use a medium-tooth canvas to allow for visible brushstrokes. Consider using a fast-drying medium to speed up the drying time.
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