plate no. 3951
Wiltshire Landscape
Eric Ravilious, 1938
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in linear perspective and color mixing to create atmospheric depth. Students will also learn to simplify complex scenes into geometric shapes and patterns.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the road's perspective and the placement of key elements like the car and telephone poles.
- step 02
Block in the sky with light washes of color, creating subtle variations in tone for the clouds.
- step 03
Establish the base colors for the fields, using a mix of yellows, browns, and greens.
- step 04
Add the road using a muted gray-brown, paying attention to the perspective and the way the color changes with distance.
- step 05
Paint the telephone poles and wires, ensuring they recede into the distance with diminishing size.
- step 06
Add details to the fields, using short, directional brushstrokes to suggest the texture of the crops.
- step 07
Paint the car and signpost, using a limited palette of reds, whites, and blacks.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the colors to create a sense of harmony and depth.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white
secondary · cerulean blue · cadmium red light · sap green
Mix muted greens by combining yellow ochre, cerulean blue, and a touch of raw umber. Achieve atmospheric perspective by lightening colors with white as they recede into the distance.
techniques
- ·linear perspective
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·color mixing
- ·dry brushing
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Failing to establish a strong sense of perspective in the road and fields.
- →Using colors that are too saturated, resulting in a flat and unrealistic appearance.
- →Overworking the details, losing the simplicity and charm of the original painting.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the sky and fields.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes (#2, #4, #6)
- ·flat brush (#8)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
- ·mineral spirits (for cleaning brushes)
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·varnish
A smooth canvas surface will help to achieve the subtle blending and detail in this painting. Consider using a medium to slow the drying time of acrylics.
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