plate no. 8275

Halstead Road in Snow

Eric Ravilious, 1935

oilMagic Realismcityscapebuildingssnowtreesroadwintercityscape

suitable for beginners

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and rendering textures with limited color palettes. It also provides practice in creating a sense of depth and distance.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: buildings, road, and trees, paying attention to perspective.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a light wash of grey or Payne's gray.
step 03
Add the yellow tones to the main building, keeping the values subtle.
step 04
Define the darker areas of the buildings and road with darker grays and browns.
step 05
Paint the bare tree branches, using a fine brush and varying the line thickness.
step 06
Add details like windows, doors, and the telephone pole.
step 07
Create the snow effect by dabbing white paint with a small brush or the end of a brush.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · Payne's gray · Yellow ochre · Titanium white

secondary · Burnt umber · Raw sienna

Mix Payne's gray and white for various shades of grey. Add a touch of yellow ochre to the white for the snow on the buildings. Use burnt umber to darken the grey for shadows.

techniques