How to Paint Sunny Impressionistic Landscapes
Demonstration in Oils on Painting Dramatic Sunlit Scenery
May 31, 2009
Shadows can become as much a part of a composition as solid objects. When given emphasis on a bright sunny day, shadows can transform an otherwise ordinary location into a dramatic landscape, rather like the ones depicted by the French Impressionists.
A Step-by Step Instruction on Painting Buttermere
A scene consisting of a group of trees, such as this location on the shores of Butteremere, in the UK, can become striking when bathed in sunlight. The trees were bare, allowing the sun to stream through. The resultant effect was like a crazy paving of sunlight and shade. The shadows were given further significance when pointing straight at the viewer. Such scenery had the potential subject matter for an Impressionistic painting.
How to Paint Like the Impressionists
The materials required are:
- A suitable photograph of shadows
- Acrylic paint in burnt sienna
- Oil paints in the following colours: titanium, lemon yellow, pthalo blue, ultramarine, viridian, permanent rose, burnt sienna and burnt umber.
- A 254mmx 305mm (10” x 12”) piece of MDF. Hardboard will do, that has been primed, otherwise, an art board, such a Dalerboard.
- A size 3 and size 6 round sable brushes
- A 1/2 inch wide bristle brush
- A palette consisting of a china plate or varnished wood.
- Small pot of artists’ white spirits
- A few rags
Using Vivid Colours to Capture Sunlight and Shade
- Dilute a little burnt sienna acrylic paint and with the bristle brush, apply a thin wash over the painting surface. This glaze will kill the off-putting white and will help set the tone for the painting. Allow to dry.
- Sketch the drawing of the photograph onto the painting surface using a soft pencil.
- For the sunlit grass, mix lemon yellow and a little viridian with lots of titanium. This was pasted on using the size 6 brush. Don’t be temped to smooth out the colours.
- For the dark areas, introduce pthalo blue, a little burnt sienna and permanent rose. This colour was applied briskly to the shadows on the ground (fig 1).
- With a clean brush, soften the areas between the sunlit and the shaded areas. The diffused effect is more emphasized in the foreground, as the shadows have been cast from a greater height (fig 2).
Giving a Sunlit Scenery Expression
The background is important in making the shadows work, for it is darker in tone than the sunlit grass.
- With the colours used for the shadows in the foreground, add white and a little ultramarine to obtain a bluish neutral. This colour was applied to the background trees.
- Add yet more ultramarine and white for the distant mountains.
Oil Sketching Impressionist Skies
- With a clean brush, mix a tiny amount of burnt sienna with loads of titanium. Paste this colour onto the sky between the trees. A beginner’s mistake is to paint a large area rather like painting a wall. Do not be tempted to out smooth the paint. Try not to paint over the areas of trees.
- For the trees, mix burnt umber with a dab of ultramarine. Paste it onto the tree trunks. All of a sudden, the shadows belong to the trees and the area makes sense (fig 3).
A Painting of Trees
When painting branches, brush in the direction of the growth. This gives the painting a sense of movement. Don’t be tempted to use a thin brush for the small branches, for this will result in an illustrated look. Introduce a little more permanent rose in certain areas (fig 4).
Painting Sunlight Like the Impressionists
The Impressionists’ signature was the application of thick paint, and juxtaposing complimentary colours against each other. In this case, the sunlit colour contrasts with the shadows. The secret to successful oil sketching is to allow the brush marks to remain and not be tempted to smooth them out.
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