plate no. 6948

Evening on the Loire

Felix Vallotton, 1923

oil, canvasMagic Realismlandscaperivertreeshillslandscapefigureshaystacks

some experience helpful

This painting offers a good opportunity to practice color mixing to achieve muted tones and understand how light affects color in a landscape. Students can also learn about simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the river, hills, and major tree masses.
step 02
Establish the sky color with a thin wash of muted yellow and pink.
step 03
Block in the dark values of the distant hill and tree masses using a mix of blues, browns, and greens.
step 04
Paint the river using light blues, grays, and whites, paying attention to the reflections of the trees.
step 05
Add the field with haystacks, using a base of yellow ochre and adding shadows with burnt sienna and umber.
step 06
Develop the foreground grass and bushes with varying shades of green, adding highlights with yellow and white.
step 07
Add the small figures in the field with simple shapes and muted colors.
step 08
Refine details and adjust values to create depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt umber

secondary · titanium white · sap green · cadmium yellow

Mix blues and browns to create the dark tones in the hills and trees. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the fields, and add white to create lighter tones in the river and sky. Mute the greens by adding a touch of red or brown.

techniques