plate no. 7029

The Evening before the Storm

oilRealismlandscapetreesskywaterlandscapefencebuilding

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and creating depth through layering of values and textures. It also provides practice in capturing the mood of a landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the trees, water, and horizon line.
step 02
Establish the sky with broad strokes, blending the gray and white tones.
step 03
Block in the dark masses of the trees and foliage using a dark green or brown mixture.
step 04
Begin layering lighter greens and browns to create the foliage texture, using varied brushstrokes.
step 05
Add details to the trees, including branches and highlights.
step 06
Paint the water, reflecting the sky and surrounding foliage.
step 07
Add the fence and any other details in the foreground.
step 08
Refine the values and details throughout the painting, paying attention to atmospheric perspective.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white · sap green

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red

Mix greens by combining ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, and burnt umber. Use white to lighten values and create atmospheric haze. Create darker tones by mixing burnt umber and ultramarine blue.

techniques

·wet-on-wet blending
·dry brush texture
·layering
·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the foreground, losing the sense of depth.
→Making the colors too bright and saturated, failing to capture the muted tones of the scene.
→Not establishing a clear value structure, resulting in a flat and uninteresting painting.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the sky and water.