plate no. 4227

Burning of Eagles and Tsar's Portraits

oilRealismgenre paintingfiguresfireportraitflagsnowbuilding

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting figures in a crowd and capturing atmospheric perspective with watercolor washes. It also provides practice in rendering fire and smoke effects.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main figures and the overall composition, paying attention to proportions and perspective.
step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted Payne's Gray or similar neutral tint to establish the background and sky.
step 03
Begin layering in the darker values on the figures, using a mix of browns, grays, and blacks.
step 04
Paint the fire using yellows, oranges, and reds, allowing the colors to blend and bleed into each other.
step 05
Add details to the figures, such as clothing folds, faces, and weapons.
step 06
Create the snow effect by leaving areas of the paper unpainted or using a very light wash of blue or gray.
step 07
Add the red flag and the portrait with its golden frame, using brighter colors to make them stand out.
step 08
Refine the details and add final touches, such as shadows and highlights.

color palette

primary · Payne's Gray · Burnt Umber · Yellow Ochre

secondary · Cadmium Red · Cadmium Yellow · Ivory Black

Mix browns and grays by combining burnt umber, Payne's gray, and a touch of yellow ochre. Use varying amounts of water to control the value and intensity of the colors.

techniques