plate no. 5060

Flevo park in winter, Amsterdam

Paul Werner, 1995

gouache, watercolor, paperExpressionismlandscapetreeswaterlandscapebrancheswinterpark

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in loose brushwork and capturing the essence of a scene with minimal detail. It also provides practice in mixing muted colors and creating a sense of depth through layering.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the tree trunk, branches, and water line.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of light gray-blue for the sky and background.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the tree trunk using a mix of browns and grays.
step 04
Add the darker tones to the tree trunk to create form and dimension.
step 05
Paint the branches using a mix of grays, browns, and yellows, paying attention to their direction and overlap.
step 06
Apply washes of blue, green, and white to represent the water, using horizontal strokes.
step 07
Add highlights and reflections to the water with lighter colors.
step 08
Refine details and add final touches to the branches and water.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · sap green · payne's gray

Mix browns by combining burnt umber and ultramarine blue. Achieve muted tones by adding white or gray to colors. Create the water reflections by mixing the sky color with greens and blues.

techniques