plate no. 5471

Horses

oilImpressionismgenre paintinghorsefigurefieldwaterlandscapesky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting form with broken color and capturing light and shadow in a landscape. It also provides practice in rendering reflections in water and creating a sense of depth.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the horse and figure.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: sky, field, water, and the general tone of the horse.
step 03
Begin to define the shapes of the horse and figure with slightly darker values.
step 04
Add highlights to the horse and reflections in the water using lighter tones.
step 05
Develop the texture of the field with short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the details of the horse's anatomy and the figure's clothing.
step 07
Add final touches to the reflections and highlights.
step 08
Step back and adjust the overall balance of the painting.

color palette

primary · titanium white · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · raw umber · cadmium yellow light

Mix various shades of brown and earth tones by combining burnt sienna, raw umber, and ultramarine blue. Use white to create lighter values and yellow ochre to add warmth.

techniques