plate no. 1244

Grazing Horses IV (The Red Horses)

Franz Marc, 1911

oilExpressionismanimal paintinghorseslandscapeanimalshillssky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand color relationships and how to use simplified forms to represent complex subjects. It's a good exercise in expressive color and brushwork.

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 of the horses and the landscape.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color for the sky, hills, and foreground.
step 03
Begin to define the forms of the horses with broad strokes of color, focusing on the overall shapes rather than details.
step 04
Mix and apply the various shades of red for the horses, paying attention to the subtle variations in tone.
step 05
Add the details of the manes and tails with purple and blue hues.
step 06
Refine the shapes of the hills and add details like the trees.
step 07
Add the darker blue tones to the foreground to create depth.
step 08
Review the painting and make any necessary adjustments to the colors and shapes.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue

secondary · viridian green · purple

Mix various shades of red by adding yellow ochre or ultramarine blue. Use white to lighten the tones. Mix purple by combining red and blue.

techniques

·color blocking
·expressive brushwork
·simplified forms
·color mixing
·layering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Not paying attention to the color relationships and creating a muddy or unbalanced palette.
→Making the forms too realistic and losing the simplified, abstract quality of the painting.
→Getting the proportions of the horses wrong.