plate no. 4429

Reservoir

Wayne Thiebaud, 1999

oilExpressionismlandscapelandscapereservoirfieldstreesskywater

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle gradients and understanding of perspective to create the illusion of depth in the landscape. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into geometric shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and composition, focusing on the oval of the reservoir and the surrounding fields.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the general layout of the landscape elements.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the sky and the water in the reservoir.
step 04
Begin layering colors to create the subtle gradients in the sky and water, blending carefully.
step 05
Add the details of the fields, using different colors and textures to differentiate them.
step 06
Paint the trees and other landscape elements, paying attention to their shapes and colors.
step 07
Refine the details and add any final touches, such as highlights and shadows.
step 08
Step back and assess the overall composition and make any necessary adjustments.

color palette

primary · pink · yellow · blue · green

secondary · orange · purple · brown

Achieve the subtle pinks and purples of the sky and water by mixing white with small amounts of red, blue, and violet. Create the greens of the fields by mixing yellow and blue, and adjust the shade with brown or black.

techniques