plate no. 2974

Landscape and River

oilImpressionismlandscaperiverbuildingstreeswaterlandscapefoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting movement in water and creating depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in capturing the texture of foliage using broken color.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the river, buildings, and trees.
step 02
Establish the sky and distant background with thin washes of color.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the buildings using simplified forms and local colors.
step 04
Begin layering the foliage, using broken color and varied brushstrokes to create texture.
step 05
Develop the river by layering different values of blue, green, and gray to suggest depth and movement.
step 06
Add highlights to the water to indicate reflections and the flow of the current.
step 07
Refine the details of the buildings and foliage, paying attention to the interplay of light and shadow.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust values to create a sense of atmospheric perspective.