plate no. 4623

Landscape With River and Trees

oilImpressionismlandscaperivertreeslandscapefiguregrasssky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting reflections in water and creating depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in using broken color to represent foliage and textures.

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, paying attention to the placement of the river, trees, and horizon line.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light blue and gray.
step 03
Establish the main masses of the trees and foliage with dark greens and browns.
step 04
Paint the river, capturing the reflections of the sky and surrounding landscape.
step 05
Add details to the trees and foliage, using broken color and varied brushstrokes.
step 06
Paint the figures, simplifying their forms and colors.
step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to create depth and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall effect.

color palette

primary · sap green · ultramarine blue · raw umber · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · cadmium yellow light

Mix greens by combining blues and yellows, and use raw umber to create muted tones. Achieve the atmospheric perspective by adding white to colors as they recede into the distance.

techniques