plate no. 5309

Distant Blue Hills

Walter Battiss, 1934

oilImpressionismlandscapelandscapetreeshillsskyfieldvegetation

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in creating atmospheric perspective and simplifying complex landscapes into basic shapes and colors. It's a good exercise in loose brushwork and capturing the essence of a scene rather than precise details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 4 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition: horizon line, placement of the tree, and the outline of the hills.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of diluted ochre or raw sienna for the sky and foreground, creating a unified base tone.
step 03
While the base wash is still damp, add slightly darker shades of brown and ochre to the foreground to suggest the field and shadows.
step 04
Paint the distant hills with a very light blue-gray wash, focusing on a soft, blurred effect.
step 05
Use a small brush to add the tree, starting with the trunk and branches using dark brown or black.
step 06
Add foliage to the tree using a mix of browns, ochre, and a touch of green, employing short, broken brushstrokes.
step 07
Suggest bushes and vegetation in the middle ground with similar colors and brushstrokes, keeping them less detailed than the tree.
step 08
Add final details like small dark marks to represent distant objects and refine the shapes of the trees and hills.

color palette

primary · raw sienna · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

The key is to mix muted tones. The sky color is achieved by diluting ultramarine blue with a lot of water and mixing it with a touch of white. Browns are created by mixing burnt umber and raw sienna.

techniques