plate no. 6096

Birches in Winter

oilRomanticismlandscapetreessnowlandscapehousemountainssky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle gradations and understanding how light interacts with snow and tree bark. It also provides practice in creating depth through atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the trees, house, and mountains.
step 02
Establish the overall color scheme with a thin wash of blue for the sky and foreground.
step 03
Block in the dark areas of the trees and foliage with a mix of dark blues and greens.
step 04
Begin layering the snow on the trees and ground, using white mixed with small amounts of blue and pink to create shadows and highlights.
step 05
Add details to the house, paying attention to the subtle color variations in the walls and roof.
step 06
Refine the background mountains with lighter blues and purples to create atmospheric perspective.
step 07
Add the finer details of the branches and twigs, using a small brush.
step 08
Adjust values and colors as needed to create a sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · viridian green

Achieve the cool snow shadows by mixing white with ultramarine blue and a touch of alizarin crimson. Use burnt umber and ultramarine blue for the dark tree bark, and add cadmium yellow to create the warm glow on the snow.

techniques