plate no. 5389

Schlittschuhlaufen

oilBaroquelandscapefiguresiceskybuildingsboatslandscape

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and rendering figures in a landscape setting. It also provides practice in creating a sense of depth and distance.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the horizon line and major elements like the buildings and boats.
step 02
Establish the sky with a thin wash of muted colors, blending from lighter at the horizon to slightly darker above.
step 03
Lay in the base color for the ice, a light, cool tone, and indicate the general areas of light and shadow.
step 04
Begin adding the distant buildings and boats, using lighter values and less detail to create atmospheric perspective.
step 05
Start painting the figures, working from the background to the foreground, gradually increasing detail and contrast.
step 06
Add details to the foreground figures, paying attention to their clothing and poses.
step 07
Refine the reflections on the ice, using subtle variations in color and value.
step 08
Add final details such as birds in the sky and small accents of color.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt sienna · Prussian blue · cadmium red light

Achieve the muted tones by mixing the primary colors with white and small amounts of the secondary colors. Use more white for the sky and distant elements.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling
·glazing
·rendering figures
·broken color

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the background, which will flatten the perspective.
→Using colors that are too saturated, which will detract from the overall muted atmosphere.
→Making the figures too uniform in size and shape.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value on the ice.