Paint
like
Monet
MASTERCLASS2.Direct your strokes
I started my painting with the clouds, which I painted in two stages – a base
layer of browns and creams, and a later layer of brighter white applied in
creamy impasto strokes. The impression of clouds scudding across the
sky was created by strong, directional brushstrokes that all follow a similar
direction: toward the top left of the picture.
I mixed small amounts of Cadmium Red, Winsor Yellow and French
Ultramarine with Titanium White to create a light brown with which to paint
this first cloud layer using my size 6 brush. I changed the shade of brown
within the clouds by slightly altering the mix of the colours as I went along.1.Colour your canvas
If you look closely at the original painting,
the unpainted canvas shows through in
places and this is a brown-grey colour.
To recreate this starting point, I mixed a
small amount of Raw Sienna and Raw Umber
with my solvent thinner to create a coloured
wash that I painted over the whole canvas.
Once this was dry, I drew out the general
arrangement of Monet’s painting in pencil.O
ne of my favourite works by Claude
Monet is his 1891 painting Poplars
on the Epte. It is one of a series of
paintings he undertook of poplar trees along
this part of the river near to his house in
Giverny. The story goes that when a local
farmer was about to cut the trees down,
Monet purchased them so that they could
stand a little longer and he could finish his
work. The painting is part of the National
Gallery of Scotland’s collection and there is
a picture of it on their website, which you can
enlarge to see almost every brushstroke.Painting a study of this Impressionist
masterpiece is a great way to understand
how Monet used loose directional
brushstrokes to bring the scene to life,
creating the effect of the wind blowing
through the trees and rippling the surface
of the river.
This masterclass is about using bold but
considered brushstrokes and how the way
you apply your paint can be as important as
the colour you choose to use. So, put away
your blending brushes and let’s get started.
http://www.pewseyvalestudio.co.ukClaude Monet used directional strokes to bring a painting
to life. Pewsey Vale Studio’s PAUL OAKLEY shows you
how to recreate the Impressionist master’s techniques•Paints
Cadmium Red, Winsor Yellow,
Viridian, Cerulean Blue and
French Ultramarine, all Winsor
& Newton Artists’ Oil Colours;
Titanium White No. 2, Alizarin
Crimson, Raw Sienna and
Raw Umber, all Michael
Harding Artists Oil Colours
•Support
Jackson’s Premium Cotton
Canvas, 80x80cm
•Brushes
Rosemary & Co Classic Long
Flats, sizes 2, 4 and 6
•Acrylic gesso
•Low odour solventPaul’s materials
COLLECTION: NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND, PURCHASED 1925. PHOTO: ANTONIA REEVE