plate no. 1937

Valley of Fire

Erin Hanson, 2009

oilExpressionismlandscaperockslandscapeskydesertvegetationarches

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve warm and cool tones and practice applying bold, expressive brushstrokes to define form and texture. It's also a good exercise in understanding light and shadow in a landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and composition of the rocks and sky.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color for the sky, using a gradient from yellow to orange.
step 03
Establish the main shadow areas on the rocks using darker reds and purples.
step 04
Apply highlights to the rocks with lighter shades of orange and yellow.
step 05
Add details to the rocks, defining the individual shapes and textures with varied brushstrokes.
step 06
Paint the vegetation in the foreground with small, quick strokes of green and yellow.
step 07
Refine the edges and details, adjusting the values and colors as needed.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · cadmium yellow · cadmium orange · burnt sienna · alizarin crimson

secondary · ultramarine blue · sap green · titanium white

Mix oranges by combining yellow and red. Use blue and red to create purples for shadows. Add white to lighten colors and create highlights. Mix small amounts of green with browns to create the vegetation.

techniques

·broken color
·impasto
·scumbling
·color layering
·directional brushstrokes

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the colors, which can result in a muddy appearance.
→Not varying the brushstrokes enough, leading to a flat and uninteresting texture.
→Ignoring the importance of value contrast, which can make the painting lack depth.
→Failing to accurately capture the warm and cool tones of the rocks and sky.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (cadmium yellow, cadmium orange, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, titanium white)
·palette
·assorted brushes (flat and round)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife
·rags