plate no. 6030

First Branch of the White River, Vermont

Edward Hopper, 1938

watercolorNew Realismlandscaperivertreeslandscapehillsskyroad

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve natural greens and blues, as well as understanding atmospheric perspective to create depth in a landscape. Students will also learn to simplify complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes: the river's curve, the hills in the background, and the major tree groupings.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the overall composition.
step 03
Apply a thin wash of light blue for the sky, allowing it to dry.
step 04
Begin layering in the distant hills with muted greens and blues, using a wet-on-wet technique for soft edges.
step 05
Mix various shades of green for the trees, using darker values for shadows and lighter values for highlights.
step 06
Paint the river with a mix of blues, greens, and grays, reflecting the colors of the sky and surrounding landscape.
step 07
Add details to the foreground trees and foliage, using smaller brushstrokes and varying the color temperature.
step 08
Refine the details and add any final touches, such as the road and the small building.

color palette

primary · viridian green · cerulean blue · yellow ochre

secondary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium yellow light

Achieve the various greens by mixing viridian green with yellow ochre and a touch of blue. Muted blues are created by mixing cerulean blue with raw umber and white. Use white to lighten values and create highlights.

techniques