plate no. 3797
The Swiss Alps at the Earl's Court Exhibition
Philip Wilson Steer, 1887
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the mood of a nighttime scene. It also provides practice in simplifying forms and using loose brushwork to suggest detail.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition, indicating the horizon line, the position of the trees, and the figures.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the sky, the ground, and the distant mountains.
- step 03
Add the darker tones for the tree trunks and the shadows on the ground.
- step 04
Begin building up the foliage of the trees with lighter tones, suggesting the blossoms or leaves.
- step 05
Add the figures, simplifying their forms and focusing on their general shape and color.
- step 06
Introduce the highlights and reflections of the lights in the background.
- step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to create depth and atmosphere.
- step 08
Add final touches to the foreground elements, such as the flower bed.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · raw umber
secondary · yellow ochre · alizarin crimson · payne's gray
Mix the sky with ultramarine blue and white, adding a touch of raw umber for a muted tone. Use yellow ochre and white for the lights, and alizarin crimson with raw umber for the darker areas of the ground.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·alla prima
- ·tonalism
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
- →Creating too much contrast, which can flatten the image.
- →Not paying attention to the subtle color variations in the sky and ground.
- →Making the figures too detailed and distracting from the overall scene.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·oil paints
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·flat brush (size 8)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
- ·palette knife
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·varnish
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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