plate no. 9225

Orkney and Shetland Sheep

oilRomanticismanimal paintingsheepanimalslandscapehillsskygrass

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering animal anatomy and fur texture, as well as creating atmospheric perspective in the background landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and placement of the sheep and the landscape.
step 02
Establish the background sky and distant hills with thin washes of color.
step 03
Block in the general colors of the sheep, paying attention to value differences.
step 04
Begin adding details to the sheep's fur, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 05
Refine the anatomy and proportions of the sheep.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Paint the foreground grass and details, connecting the sheep to the environment.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · ivory black · burnt sienna · sap green

Use raw umber and white for the gray sheep, yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the golden sheep, and ivory black with a touch of umber for the black sheep. Mix greens and browns for the landscape.

techniques