plate no. 0700

Early Spring, Quebec

A.Y. Jackson, 1923

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapehouseslandscapesnowhillsskyhorse-drawn carriage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, as well as simplifying complex shapes into basic forms. It also provides practice in capturing the feeling of a specific season and time of day.

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 houses, hills, and mountain, paying attention to their relative sizes and positions.
step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue-gray wash, leaving some areas lighter to suggest clouds.
step 03
Establish the dark mass of the mountain and the general tones of the hills using browns and dark greens.
step 04
Paint the houses with a base coat of red, then add variations in tone and color to create depth and form.
step 05
Add the snow patches on the hills, using a mix of white, blue, and brown to create shadows and texture.
step 06
Paint the foreground snow, using cool blues and yellows to suggest light and shadow.
step 07
Add the details of the horse-drawn carriage and the bare trees.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust the colors as needed to achieve the desired effect.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber

secondary · yellow ochre · sap green · ivory black

Mix various shades of brown by combining burnt umber with ultramarine blue and yellow ochre. Create the snow color by mixing white with small amounts of blue and brown.

techniques

·broken color
·dry brushing
·layering
·scumbling
·simplified forms

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impressionistic feel.
→Making the colors too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of the winter landscape.
→Failing to simplify the shapes of the houses and hills, resulting in a cluttered composition.
→Not creating enough contrast between the light and dark areas, resulting in a flat image.