plate no. 4189
Horses in the storm
Boris Kustodiev, 1918
experienced study
Students would develop skills in dramatic sky painting with complex cloud formations and learn to balance detailed foreground elements with atmospheric effects. This piece teaches color temperature contrast between warm and cool tones.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Begin with a rough compositional sketch, placing the large central tree and horse grouping
- step 02
Block in the dramatic sky with broad washes of blue, green, and warm tones
- step 03
Develop cloud forms using wet-on-wet blending techniques for soft edges
- step 04
Paint the middle ground trees with strong dark silhouettes
- step 05
Add the horses and figures with careful attention to scale and placement
- step 06
Refine tree foliage textures using varied brushwork
- step 07
Enhance atmospheric perspective in background elements
- step 08
Final details on foreground elements and light effects
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · viridian green · burnt sienna · titanium white
secondary · cadmium yellow · raw umber · prussian blue · yellow ochre
Create storm clouds by mixing blues with small amounts of purple and white, add warmth with yellow ochre mixed into cloud breaks
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·color temperature contrast
- ·dynamic brushwork
- ·silhouette painting
common pitfalls
- →overworking the cloud details
- →making trees too uniform in color
- →losing the dramatic light source
- →neglecting proper scale relationships
materials
surface · stretched canvas or canvas board
required
- ·#8 flat brush
- ·#4 flat brush
- ·#2 round brush
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·canvas 16x20
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·fan brush
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use quality brushes for smooth color blending in sky areas, consider using a limited palette to maintain color harmony
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