plate no. 4385

January Sunshine

oilImpressionismlandscapewintersnowhousesbridgetreeslandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve realistic snow shadows and practice layering brushstrokes to create texture and depth in a landscape. Students will also learn about atmospheric perspective and how to create a sense of distance.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the bridge, houses, and major tree lines.
step 02
Establish the sky color with a thin wash of blue and white.
step 03
Block in the large areas of snow, using a mix of white, blue, and a touch of brown to create shadows.
step 04
Paint the houses, paying attention to their shapes and the angles of their roofs.
step 05
Add the trees and branches, using a variety of brushstrokes to create texture.
step 06
Paint the bridge, focusing on the light and shadow on its surface.
step 07
Refine the details, such as the reflections in the water and the texture of the snow.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green

Mix white with small amounts of blue and brown to create various shades of snow. Use red and brown to create the house colors. Mix blue and yellow to create greens for the trees.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·layering
·atmospheric perspective
·color temperature

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Not paying attention to the values of the snow, making it appear flat.
→Making the brushstrokes too uniform, losing the texture of the snow and trees.
→Ignoring atmospheric perspective, making the background appear too sharp.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, cadmium red, yellow ochre, viridian green)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits