plate no. 7295

Landscape with Houses

oilImpressionismlandscapelandscaperivertreeshousesskyfoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and using visible brushstrokes to suggest texture. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the landscape: the river, the landmass with houses, and the trees.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color using thin washes. Start with the sky, then the river, land, and foliage.
step 03
Begin layering darker values to define the shadows and create depth in the trees and foliage.
step 04
Add lighter values to suggest highlights and create contrast, especially in the water and the landmass.
step 05
Use short, visible brushstrokes to build up texture in the foliage and the foreground.
step 06
Define the shapes of the houses with simple blocks of color, adding small details like roofs.
step 07
Refine the reflections in the water, paying attention to the direction of the brushstrokes.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to bring the painting to life.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red · sap green

Mix various shades of brown and green by combining burnt umber, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, and white. Use white to create lighter values and blue to create darker values. Add small amounts of red to warm up the browns.

techniques