A Closer Look at Childe Hassam’s Up the River

Let’s take a closer look at a high-key pastel by Childe Hassam, Up the River. I’ll cover:

• Distinct Pastel Finish
• Shimmering Colors
• Small Areas of Contrast and Detail
• Directional Strokes
• Color Gradation and Exposed Surface
• Rule of Thirds
• Key Takeaways
• Want to Learn More?
• Thanks for Reading!

Distinct Pastel Finish

Pastel is an interesting medium. It has characteristics of both drawing and painting and a distinct finish that’s not easily replicated with other mediums. There’s a dry, chalkiness to it. It’s also light and fresh, especially compared to the richness and fullness of oils (see Hassam’s oil painting below for comparison). On a separate note, there seems to be a bit of contention as to whether a pastel artwork is considered a drawing, a painting, or as a standalone medium. I’m still unsure after doing some research. It seems to depend on how the pastels are used. Feel free to share any insights in the comments.

Tip: Each medium has different strengths and limitations. In order to get the most out of your chosen medium, you must use it in a way that plays into its strengths without being crippled by its limitations. With pastel, focus on its convenience, drawing, and soft colors. But perhaps don’t focus on impasto texture (one of pastel’s obvious limitations).

Shimmering Colors

Most of the colors are compressed around the middle to light end of the value scale. You can see what I mean in the grayscale below. The colors are even lighter in value than I first expected (color can be deceiving like that).

The light colors give the painting its shimmering appearance. You can almost feel the crisp breeze and warm sunlight. Though it does come at the sacrifice of value contrast (light against dark). There are no truly dark colors to provide a strong value contrast. And this is a big sacrifice, as value is perhaps our best tool as artists for conveying realism. It’s the opposite of, say, the dramatic chiaroscuro works of Rembrandt or Caravaggio where value contrast is the key driver. We cannot have it all in painting. There is always a trade-off!

Small Areas of Contrast and Detail

The painting features a pleasant balance between small areas of contrast and detail and large areas of quiet space. This is a tried and true strategy for a balanced composition. The small areas, in this case the buildings in the back (closeup below), draw our attention and add interest to the painting. The quiet areas give our eyes a rest.

Directional Strokes

Hassam’s directional strokes add a sense of movement and vibration. It makes it look as though wind is blowing in the sky and in the tall grass and there’s a gentle ebb and flow in the water.

For the most part, the strokes follow the contours and gesture of the subject. But I would say the directional strokes of the sky are what Hassam felt worked best in the context of the painting (it’s Hassam exercising his artistic license). I do this with many of my calm landscapes—I take the liberty to inject a bit of movement and energy into the sky based on what the painting needs rather than what the wind is actually doing. This usually comes down to a gut feeling. Below is a good example that I painted back in 2016, Three Boats at Kingfisher Bay. Notice my radiating strokes in the sky which help reiterate the sunset and its brilliant colors.

Hassam’s directional strokes also help lead our eyes around the painting. My eyes are taken on a journey from the boats, along the rickety jetty, up through the grass, through the trees at the back, and around the sky. Your eyes may go on a completely different journey through the painting. That’s what makes art interesting! We all see and experience it differently.

Color Gradation and Exposed Surface

There’s a subtle color gradation in the sky. Notice how Hassam created this gradation by changing the color of his strokes rather than by gently blending the colors together. The closeup below also shows how much of the toned surface is showing through in the finished work. It gives the sky a subtle and warm glow without overpowering the blues.

Leaving parts of the surface exposed is something Nicolai Fechin often did in his landscapes. It gives a rustic, broken color appearance. It’s also efficient in the sense it allows you to take advantage of the surface color and make fewer strokes.

Rule of Thirds

Below is the painting with a three-by-three grid over the top (created using this free grid tool). This helps us analyse the painting in terms of composition and the rule of thirds. A few observations:

• There’s a 1:3 relationship between the sky and land.
• The concentrated area of buildings in the background is around the top-left intersection.
• The boats are around the bottom-right intersection.
• The jetty aligns with the bottom horizontal gridline.

Notice how most of the activity is happening around the gridlines and intersections? That’s not to suggest Hassam was actively thinking about the rule of thirds as he came up with this painting. But it may have been in the back of his mind.

Key Takeaways

• Pastel is an interesting medium. It has characteristics of both drawing and painting and a distinct finish that’s not easily replicated with other mediums. 
• In order to get the most out of your chosen medium, you must use it in a way that plays into its strengths without being crippled by its limitations. 
• The light colors give the painting its shimmering appearance. You can almost feel the crisp breeze and warm sunlight. Though it does come at the sacrifice of value contrast (light against dark). We cannot have it all in painting. There is always a trade-off!
• Small areas of contrast and detail paired with large areas of quiet space is a tried and true strategy for a balanced composition.
• Hassam’s directional strokes add a sense of movement and vibration. It makes it look as though wind is blowing in the sky and in the tall grass and there’s a gentle ebb and flow in the water. 
• Your eyes may go on a completely different journey through the painting. That’s what makes art interesting! We all see and experience it differently.
• You can leave parts of the surface exposed in the finished painting. This can create a rustic, broken color appearance. It’s also efficient in the sense it allows you to take advantage of the surface color and make fewer strokes. 

Want to Learn More?

If you ever want to learn more, start with my Painting Academy course. I’ll walk you through the time-tested fundamentals of painting.

Thanks for Reading!

I appreciate you taking the time to read this post and I hope you found it helpful. Feel free to share it with friends.

Happy painting!

Dan Scott

The post A Closer Look at Childe Hassam’s Up the River appeared first on Draw Paint Academy.