plate no. 9208

Lake 'Retaud' in Canton Vaud

Hubertine Heijermans, 1986

etching, print, paperRealismlandscapelaketreesmountainsboatsbuildingslandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this etching will help students develop skills in line drawing, cross-hatching, and creating tonal values through varying line density. It also provides practice in depicting reflections and atmospheric perspective using a limited palette.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch of the overall composition, including the horizon line, major landforms, and the placement of the buildings and trees.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas, such as the trees on the left and the reflections in the water, using dense cross-hatching.
step 03
Gradually build up the tonal values in the mountains and sky using lighter, more spaced-out lines.
step 04
Add details to the buildings and boats, paying attention to their forms and the direction of light.
step 05
Create the illusion of texture in the foreground vegetation using short, broken lines.
step 06
Use horizontal lines to represent the water surface and suggest reflections.
step 07
Refine the overall tonal balance and add any final details.
step 08
Step back and assess the overall composition, making adjustments as needed to ensure a cohesive and balanced image.

color palette

primary · black · white

secondary · gray

Varying the density of black lines on white paper creates shades of gray.

techniques

·cross-hatching
·line drawing
·stippling
·atmospheric perspective
·rendering reflections

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of light and atmosphere.
→Creating lines that are too uniform and lack variation in thickness and direction.
→Failing to establish a clear focal point and creating a composition that feels cluttered or unbalanced.
→Not paying attention to the direction of light and creating inconsistent shadows.