plate no. 5380
Woods
Harry Phelan Gibb, 1930
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop their understanding of color mixing for natural scenes and practice layering techniques to create depth and texture. Students will also learn to simplify complex forms into basic shapes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the hills, trees, and foreground.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a thin layer of pale green-gray.
- step 03
Establish the main color areas of the hills using a mix of reds, browns, and greens.
- step 04
Paint the distant trees and foliage with darker, muted tones.
- step 05
Add the foreground grasses with vertical brushstrokes, varying the colors and values.
- step 06
Paint the bare trees in the foreground, paying attention to the branching structure.
- step 07
Refine the details and add highlights to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed.
color palette
primary · burnt sienna · raw umber · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · sap green · ultramarine blue
Achieve the earthy tones by mixing burnt sienna and raw umber with small amounts of white, yellow ochre, and blue. Use green sparingly, muted with browns, for the foliage.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·broken color
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
- →Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
- →Making the tree branches too uniform and symmetrical.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
A medium-textured canvas will help to create a more textured effect. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
related guides
