plate no. 4697

River Cloud

Wayne Thiebaud, 2002

oilNew Realismlandscapelandscapefieldsriverskycloudsreflection

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing, atmospheric perspective, and creating the illusion of depth through variations in color and brushwork. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into geometric shapes and planes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, dividing the canvas into foreground, middle ground, and background.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the main shapes of the fields and river.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color for the sky, fields, and water using thin washes.
step 04
Gradually build up the color in the fields, using different hues and values to create depth and variation.
step 05
Add details to the fields, such as rows of crops and small buildings.
step 06
Paint the river and its reflections, paying attention to the subtle color changes and distortions.
step 07
Create the clouds with soft, blended edges, using a limited palette of grays and whites.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · titanium white · cadmium green

secondary · alizarin crimson · burnt umber · violet

Achieve the subtle color variations by mixing small amounts of complementary colors. Use white to lighten values and create atmospheric perspective. Mix violet with white and yellow ochre for the sky and water reflections.

techniques