The Garden Bower at Finzean

surface prep

The canvas should be primed with a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific details of Farquharson’s ground preparation are not provided in the sources, traditional oil painting practice involves preparing the surface to accept the oil medium. The artist likely used a standard oil ground or gesso to ensure the paint adheres properly and dries correctly (Source 1).

underdrawing

Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1). For this landscape, the artist would likely sketch the major compositional elements, such as the horizon line, the placement of the bower, and the arrangement of trees, to establish the visual path and spatial organization (Source 4).

underpainting

While not explicitly detailed for this specific work, traditional methods may involve an initial layer of thinned paint to establish values and composition. The 'fat over lean' rule dictates that this initial layer should contain less oil than subsequent layers to prevent cracking (Source 1). Some artists use a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish form before adding color, a technique described in historical practice (Source 7).

Fat over Lean

Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking. This is a basic rule of oil paint application (Source 1).

Layering

The consistency on the canvas depends on the layering of the oil paint. This allows for the adjustment of translucency, sheen, and density of the paint (Source 1).

Atmospheric Depiction

Including the sky and weather as elements of the composition to enhance the realism and mood of the landscape (Source 3).