plate no. 9302
Untitled (Logging Scene)
Alexander Calder, 1922
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in simplifying complex scenes and using expressive brushstrokes to create texture and form. It also encourages the use of a limited color palette to create a cohesive mood.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 4 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes: the horizon line, the large hill, and the placement of the main tree trunks.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a light gray, using loose, horizontal brushstrokes.
- step 03
Establish the base color for the hill using a mix of browns and ochre, varying the tone slightly to suggest form.
- step 04
Paint the tree trunks with dark brown or black, varying their thickness and height.
- step 05
Add details to the hill with vertical brushstrokes to suggest texture and shadows.
- step 06
Block in the background landscape with muted greens and browns.
- step 07
Add highlights to the ground and hill using lighter shades of brown and gray.
- step 08
Refine the details of the trees and add any final touches to balance the composition.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white
secondary · payne's gray · yellow ochre
Mix browns with white for highlights, and add a touch of gray for shadows. Use yellow ochre to warm up the browns in the foreground.
techniques
- ·dry brush
- ·scumbling
- ·alla prima
- ·broken color
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the expressive brushstrokes.
- →Making the colors too saturated and losing the muted, somber mood.
- →Creating too much symmetry in the placement of the trees.
- →Not varying the value enough, resulting in a flat image.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·payne's gray oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·#6 round brush
- ·palette
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·painting medium
A small canvas size (e.g., 9x12 or 11x14) is recommended for beginners.
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