plate no. 5179
Welsh Hills
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and how to simplify complex landscapes into basic shapes and values. It also provides practice in creating texture with visible brushstrokes.
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 horizon line and major landforms.
- step 02
Block in the sky with broad strokes, establishing the light and dark areas of the clouds.
- step 03
Establish the basic colors of the distant hills, using muted tones to create atmospheric perspective.
- step 04
Block in the mid-ground fields with variations of greens and yellows.
- step 05
Paint the foreground fields with darker browns and reds, adding texture with visible brushstrokes.
- step 06
Add the trees, paying attention to their shapes and values.
- step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall effect.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber · yellow ochre
secondary · sap green · raw sienna · payne's gray
Mix various shades of gray and blue for the sky. Use yellow ochre and burnt umber to create earthy tones for the fields. Mix greens by combining blue and yellow.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·alla prima
- ·dry brushing
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth with atmospheric perspective.
- →Using colors that are too saturated.
- →Ignoring the importance of value contrast.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes #4, #6, #8
- ·flat brush #6
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·rags
Use a limited palette to simplify color mixing. Consider using a toned canvas to create a more unified effect.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Dolly Sisters
Kees van Dongen
Nude with Loaves
Jean Helion
My Father
Carlos Botelho
Helen
Chronis Botsoglou
The portrait painter in the country
Albin Egger-Lienz
Marketta on Lázeňská street, Prague
Maria Bozoky
Winter at the Entrepotdok, in Amsterdam city
Paul Werner
Old Woman with Masks (Theatre of Masks)
James Ensor