plate no. 6335

Landscape

Zinaida Serebriakova, 1913

oilSymbolismlandscapemountainshillstreeslandscaperockssky

some experience helpful

This painting is great for practicing layering colors to create depth and learning how to simplify complex landscapes into basic shapes. Students will also improve their understanding of atmospheric perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the mountains, hills, and foreground rocks.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light yellow and pink.
step 03
Apply a base layer of yellow ochre and green to the hills, varying the mixture for different areas.
step 04
Paint the distant mountains with diluted purple and brown tones to create atmospheric perspective.
step 05
Add darker greens and browns to the trees and foreground vegetation, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Define the rocks with shades of gray, purple, and brown, paying attention to light and shadow.
step 07
Add small details like individual trees and highlights on the rocks.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting colors and values as needed.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson · sap green

Mix yellow ochre with small amounts of ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create various shades of green and brown. Use alizarin crimson with ultramarine blue to create purples for the mountains and rocks.

techniques