Leonid Afremov inspired park scene

Learn how to paint a park scene in the modern impressionist style of Leonid Afremov!

Step 1. Marking up the canvas

This project doesn’t require much preparatory marking up but it’s a good Idea to draw up the shape and angle of the path so that you can lay the light blue into the right spot. This will convey the path in the distance.

Step 2. Adding the background

All of the paints used in this project are Mont Marte Oil Paints. Squeeze out some Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Yellow Deep, Orange Yellow, Cadmium Red, Crimson, Violet, Cerulean Blue and Prussian Blue onto an easy clean palette. Refer to the image on page 6 and begin by laying the Light Blue into the appropriate area. The colours should move out from the middle in a circular fashion. Use a small palette knife and then darken the blue around the light blue with some Cerulean Blue. After the blue, add a green mixed from Cerulean Blue and Lemon Yellow and add this around the Blue. Next move to straight Lemon Yellow to Orange Yellow to Cadmium Red to Crimson to Violet and then to Prussian Blue.

Step 3. Adding the trees and lamp posts

Create a mix from Prussian Blue and Crimson and paint in the trees. Remember to decrease the size of the tree the further in the distance they lie. Create the trees at the end of the path a little lighter also. This can be done by using less paint on the brush and allowing the undercoat to come through to lighten the tone. Once the trees have been painted in create the lamp posts by painting a straight line down the centre of each post. Add the light surround and then the base. Thicken the post from the base to the light surround and make sure it tapers so it is thinner at the top.

Step 4. Top coating the foreground

Lay the dark tone mixed for the trees across the path at the bottom of the canvas, use horizontal strokes. Allow some of the underlying colour to show through between the strokes. As you move up toward the centre of the path in the distance use less paint on the brush and blend it into the light blue. Apply a green mixed from Lemon Yellow and Cerulean Blue and apply it into the edge of the path with a palette knife.

Step 5. Top coating the trees

In this step we add dabs of colour all over the painting. These dabs are applied with a palette knife. Use the colours already on the palette. Concentrate the dabs around the trees and other details. Apply the colours in blocks across the canvas. Add one colour at a time. Continue building up the dabs until you feel enough of the background has been filled. Ensure the dabs are the lightest at the end of the path. Apply the dabs sporadically but remember to concentrate darker dabs of colour over the darker areas of under painting.

Step 6. Detailing

The painting is essentially finished, all that needs to be done now is to add a little detail. These are some of the elements to detail: 1) Add Titanium White to the lamp posts in the light area. 2) Add the highlights on the side of the lamp post. 3) Roughly blend in a lighter tone into the trees so they have more interest.