plate no. 5818

Boy and Dog in Icelandic Landscape

Louisa Matthiasdottir, 1985

oilExpressionismgenre paintingfiguredoglandscapeskyhillsgrass

suitable for beginners

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in simplifying forms and using color blocking to define shapes. It also provides practice in capturing light and shadow with minimal blending.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the landscape, figure, and dog, focusing on proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue, gradually adding a slightly darker blue towards the top.
step 03
Paint the distant landmasses with brown and purple hues.
step 04
Block in the green field with a base green color, then add highlights and shadows using lighter and darker shades of green.
step 05
Paint the figure with light skin tones and a light blue dress, using darker shades of blue for shadows.
step 06
Block in the dog with black and white, paying attention to the shapes of the markings.
step 07
Add cast shadows under the figure and dog to ground them in the scene.
step 08
Refine the shapes and colors, adding subtle details as needed.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · sap green · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · black

Mix greens by combining blue and yellow. Create shadows by adding a touch of burnt sienna or ultramarine blue to the base colors. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques