plate no. 1606
When the West with Evening Glows
Joseph Farquharson, 1910
recreation guide
Joseph Farquharson’s *When the West with Evening Glows* (1910) is a quintessential example of his celebrated 'snow scenes,' a genre for which he was famously nicknamed 'Frozen Mutton' Farquharson (Source 3). The artwork likely depicts a Scottish landscape at dusk, featuring sheep and possibly human figures engaged in rural labor, set against the dramatic lighting conditions of dawn or dusk which were central to his trademark style (Source 3). As a realist painter who bypassed Edinburgh for London to gain a wider audience, Farquharson’s work combines detailed observation of nature with a romanticized, atmospheric treatment of light (Source 3). The painting reflects his long-standing practice of combining landscape with animal subjects, specifically sheep, which appear frequently in his finest works (Source 3).
estimated time
40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions
materials
5 items
steps
6 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (Titanium White, Ultramarine, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, Burnt Umber) | Primary pigments for underpainting and glazing. White is essential for snow; Ultramarine and White for the grisaille underpainting. | — |
| Linseed Oil | Primary drying oil medium for mixing paints and creating glazes. | — |
| Oil of Copavia (or modern stand oil/walnut oil) | Historical medium cited by Reynolds for initial paintings; provides a slower drying, non-yellowing alternative to linseed for delicate layers. | Stand oil or Walnut oil |
| Varnish | Mixed with oil for final glazing stages to increase transparency and depth. | Dammar varnish |
| Canvas or Panel | Support for the oil painting. | — |
preparation
surface prep
Prepare a standard oil painting ground. While specific preparation for this 1910 work is not detailed in the sources, Farquharson worked in oils throughout his career (Source 3). Ensure the surface is sealed and smooth to allow for the fine detail required in realism and the transparency required for glazing techniques.
underdrawing
Use a thin wash of burnt umber or charcoal to sketch the composition. Farquharson’s realism suggests careful preliminary drawing to establish the placement of sheep, figures, and landscape elements. No specific source details his underdrawing method, so standard realist practice is inferred.
underpainting
Create a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white. This technique is supported by Sir Joshua Reynolds’ method, which involved establishing the tonal structure before adding color (Source 1). This step is crucial for managing the complex light and shadow of a dusk snow scene. The grisaille should capture the full range of values from the bright snow to the dark shadows, mentally extracting red and yellow tones to focus on form and light (Source 1).
color palette
White
Lead White (historical) or Titanium White (modern)
Snow highlights and atmospheric haze. Historically, lead white was dominant for its opacity and fast drying (Source 4).
Ultramarine
Ultramarine Blue
Shadows in the snow and sky tones. Used in the grisaille underpainting along with black and white (Source 1).
Yellow Ochre / Cadmium Yellow
Yellow Ochre or Cadmium Yellow
Warm glazes for the 'evening glow' and highlights on sheep wool. These colors are applied via glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille (Source 1).
Cadmium Red / Vermilion
Cadmium Red or Vermilion
Warm accents in the sky and reflections on snow. Applied as transparent glazes to create the effect of sunset light (Source 1).
Black
Ivory Black or Lamp Black
Deep shadows and defining forms in the grisaille underpainting (Source 1).
composition
Farquharson’s compositions often feature a horizontal layout with animals or figures in the foreground and a wider landscape beyond, consistent with his rural Scottish subjects (Source 3). The title suggests a focus on the atmospheric effects of dusk, likely utilizing the contrast between the warm sky and the cool snow. The composition likely balances the 'positive' space of the sheep/figures with the 'negative' space of the sky and snow, adhering to general principles of visual ordering (Source 5).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the composition lightly, placing the sheep and any human figures in the foreground with the landscape extending behind them.
Tip — Ensure accurate proportions for the animals, as Farquharson was known for detailed animal painting (Source 3).
Realist underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia (or stand oil) to create a grisaille. Paint the entire scene in monochrome, focusing on value and form.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these colors were not present (Source 1).
Grisaille underpainting
first pass
step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. Begin glazing with transparent coats of yellow and red tones to simulate the evening glow.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color applied over the dry underpainting (Source 1).
Glazing
refining
step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to add texture and coldness to the snow and shadows, allowing the underlying grisaille to show through.
Tip — Scumbling over a darker ground tends to coldness, which is useful for creating the 'grey bloom' of snow (Source 1).
Scumbling
finishing
step 05
Refine the details of the sheep and figures, ensuring the colors harmonize with the surrounding landscape. Use mixed oil and varnish for deeper glazes if needed.
Tip — Be aware of simultaneous contrast; adjacent colors will affect each other’s appearance (Source 2).
Glazing and Scumbling
varnishing
step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and enhance the depth of the glazes.
Tip — Ensure the painting is fully dry before varnishing.
Varnishing
critical techniques
Glazing
Applying transparent coats of color over a dry monochrome underpainting to build up luminosity and depth, particularly for the warm tones of the evening sky.
Scumbling
Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create cold, textured effects, such as the grey bloom of snow.
Simultaneous Contrast
Understanding that adjacent colors influence each other’s perception, allowing the painter to accurately imitate the modifications of light on the model.
common pitfalls
- →Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can muddy the colors.
- →Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and application (Source 2).
- →Using too much opaque paint in the glazing stage, which defeats the purpose of the transparent layering technique (Source 1).
- →Overworking the snow, losing the delicate 'grey bloom' achieved through scumbling (Source 1).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific brush types used by Farquharson are not mentioned in the sources.
- ·The exact dimensions of the canvas for this specific 1910 work are not provided.
- ·Detailed information on Farquharson’s specific palette for this painting is not available; the palette is inferred from general oil painting practices and his known subject matter.
- ·The specific role of human figures in this particular painting is not detailed, though they are common in his work (Source 3).
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Color harmony and perception adjustments
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Joseph Farquharson↗
- part 1 — applied to Artist style, subject matter, and historical context
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to Materials and pigments
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 1 — applied to General compositional principles
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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