plate no. 5827
Thunderstorms Over the Valley
Theophile Steinlen, 1895
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and creating depth through subtle color and value changes. It also provides practice in rendering soft, diffused light and cloud formations.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, dividing the canvas into sky, middle ground, and foreground.
- step 02
Establish the horizon line and the placement of the town and distant hills.
- step 03
Block in the sky with light gray and white, focusing on the cloud formations.
- step 04
Paint the distant hills with muted blues and purples to create atmospheric perspective.
- step 05
Add the fields with varying shades of green, yellow, and brown, using horizontal strokes.
- step 06
Paint the trees in the foreground with darker browns and greens, adding texture with short, broken strokes.
- step 07
Add details to the town, keeping it soft and indistinct.
- step 08
Refine the values and colors throughout the painting, paying attention to the overall harmony.
color palette
primary · titanium white · raw umber · yellow ochre
secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna
Achieve the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of umber, ochre, and blue. Use burnt sienna to warm up the browns and greens.
techniques
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·soft blending
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details in the town
- →Creating too much contrast in the sky
- →Using colors that are too saturated
- →Losing the atmospheric perspective by making the distant hills too sharp
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·palette
- ·#4 round brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·painting medium
A toned canvas (light gray or ochre) can be helpful for establishing the overall color harmony.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
