plate no. 8344

Farmhouses Under The Snow

oilExpressionismlandscapetreessnowhouseslandscapedogfence

some experience helpful

This drawing helps students practice rendering textures with hatching and cross-hatching, as well as creating depth through layering and value changes. It also provides practice in depicting bare trees and simple architectural forms.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition, including the horizon line, major tree trunks, and the placement of the houses.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas: the tree trunks, the fence, and the dog.
step 03
Begin adding layers of hatching to create the snow-covered surfaces, varying the pressure to indicate light and shadow.
step 04
Develop the tree branches using short, broken lines, paying attention to their direction and thickness.
step 05
Add details to the houses, such as windows and roof lines, using a combination of hatching and cross-hatching.
step 06
Refine the foreground with details like the snow-covered ground and small plants.
step 07
Add final touches and adjust values to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Review and adjust the overall balance of light and dark to enhance the mood.

color palette

primary · charcoal gray · ivory black

secondary · light gray · sepia

Vary the pressure and density of charcoal to achieve different shades of gray. Use sepia sparingly to add warmth to certain areas.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·layering
·value shading
·linear perspective

common pitfalls

→Overworking the drawing and losing the freshness of the initial sketch.
→Creating uniform hatching patterns that lack variation and depth.
→Failing to establish a clear light source, resulting in a flat and unconvincing image.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in value that create the illusion of snow.