plate no. 8639

Landscape with Trees and Cattle

oilTonalismanimal paintinglandscapecattletreesanimalsfieldsky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and creating depth through tonal variations. It also provides practice in capturing the essence of a subject with loose, expressive brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the cattle and the overall landscape structure.
step 02
Establish the dark background tones using a mix of burnt umber and black.
step 03
Block in the general shapes of the landscape with thin washes of color, working from dark to light.
step 04
Add the cattle, paying attention to their relative sizes and positions.
step 05
Develop the atmospheric perspective by softening edges and lightening values in the background.
step 06
Refine the details of the trees and foliage, using loose, expressive brushstrokes.
step 07
Add highlights to the cattle and landscape to create a sense of light and form.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the painting and adjust the overall color harmony.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · sap green · cadmium red light

Achieve the muted tones by mixing earth colors with white and small amounts of other colors. Use glazes of thinned paint to create depth and atmospheric effects.

techniques