plate no. 9494

Funeral of Firstborn

oilRealismgenre paintingfiguressnowwintertreescemeterysky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective, color mixing for snow and overcast skies, and depicting figures in a landscape. It also provides practice in creating a somber mood through color and composition.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the figures and the horizon line.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the sky, snow, and the dark masses of the figures and trees.
step 03
Establish the light source and begin to model the forms with subtle value changes.
step 04
Develop the atmospheric perspective by making distant elements lighter and less detailed.
step 05
Refine the details of the figures, paying attention to their expressions and clothing.
step 06
Add the details of the cemetery and the snow-covered trees.
step 07
Glaze the painting with thin layers of color to unify the composition and enhance the mood.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red · ivory black

Achieve the snow color by mixing white with small amounts of blue, umber, and ochre. Create the atmospheric perspective by adding more white to the colors as they recede into the distance.

techniques