plate no. 0023
Ukrainian Landscape
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, and in simplifying complex shapes into basic forms. It also offers practice in capturing the atmospheric perspective of a landscape.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the houses, trees, and fence, paying attention to perspective.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light yellow and white.
- step 03
Establish the main color masses for the fields and distant hills.
- step 04
Paint the houses using a base of white mixed with a touch of blue and ochre, then add shadows and details.
- step 05
Develop the trees with layers of brown, yellow, orange, and red, using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 06
Paint the fence, varying the color and tone of each post and rail.
- step 07
Add details to the foreground, such as grass and weeds, using small, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 08
Refine the painting by adjusting values and colors, and adding highlights.
color palette
primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue
secondary · cadmium yellow · cadmium red · viridian green
Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors. Use white to lighten values and create atmospheric perspective. Mix greens from blue and yellow, adding ochre to dull the color.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·layering
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Creating colors that are too saturated and unnatural.
- →Failing to establish a clear sense of depth and perspective.
- →Not varying the brushstrokes enough to create texture and interest.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·cadmium yellow oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
Use a medium-tooth canvas for best results. A limited palette can be used to simplify the color mixing process.
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