plate no. 3719

Church and Horse

Alex Colville, 1964

oilRegionalismanimal paintinghorsebuildingchurchfenceskygrass

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering muted colors and creating realistic textures with subtle brushstrokes. It also provides practice in accurately depicting animal anatomy and architectural forms.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the church, horse, and fence, paying attention to proportions and perspective.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: sky, building, grass, and horse, using thin washes.
step 03
Begin adding details to the building, such as the trim, door, and sign, using a small brush.
step 04
Develop the form of the horse by layering darker and lighter tones to create highlights and shadows.
step 05
Paint the fence, paying attention to the texture of the wood and the details of the wire.
step 06
Refine the details of the grass and sky, adding subtle variations in color and tone.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the realism of the painting.
step 08
Allow to dry and varnish if desired.

color palette

primary · ivory black · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · yellow ochre · payne's gray

Create the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of black, raw umber, and yellow ochre. Use payne's gray to darken shadows and create subtle variations in the sky.

techniques