plate no. 1371

Daylight at Russell’s Corners

oilPrecisionismlandscapebuildingssnowskytreeswinterlandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve muted tones and in creating a sense of depth through careful observation of perspective and atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and perspective lines of the buildings, road, and telephone poles.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: sky, snow, and the main colors of the buildings.
step 03
Refine the shapes of the buildings, paying attention to the details of the windows and doors.
step 04
Add shadows and highlights to create depth and dimension in the snow and on the buildings.
step 05
Mix and apply the subtle variations in the sky to create a sense of atmosphere.
step 06
Paint the details of the telephone poles and wires, using a fine brush.
step 07
Add the bare tree and any other small details.
step 08
Review and adjust colors and values as needed to achieve the desired effect.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt sienna · raw umber

secondary · payne's gray · yellow ochre

Achieve the muted tones by mixing small amounts of complementary colors (e.g., burnt sienna and payne's gray) into the white. Use raw umber to darken the sienna for the buildings.

techniques

·flat color blocking
·linear perspective
·atmospheric perspective
·color mixing
·hard edge painting

common pitfalls

→Getting the perspective wrong, which will make the buildings look distorted.
→Using colors that are too bright or saturated, which will detract from the painting's muted atmosphere.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in the snow, which will make it look flat and lifeless.
→Overworking the details, which will make the painting look too busy.