plate no. 3461

She Turned Her Back on Me and Went Imperturbably On With Her Sketching

Charles M. Russell, 1906

oilRomanticismgenre paintingfigureslandscaperockshorseskyclouds

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting figures in a landscape and capturing atmospheric perspective with watercolor washes. It also provides practice in rendering realistic textures of rocks and foliage.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main figures, horse, and landscape elements, paying attention to proportions and placement.
step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted yellow ochre and burnt sienna to the entire paper as a base tone.
step 03
Begin painting the sky with diluted blues and grays, creating soft, blended clouds.
step 04
Paint the distant landscape using progressively lighter and cooler tones of blue and green to create atmospheric perspective.
step 05
Focus on the figures, starting with light washes of color to establish the basic shapes and values.
step 06
Gradually build up darker tones and details in the figures' clothing and features, using layering techniques.
step 07
Paint the rocks and foliage with a variety of greens, browns, and grays, using dry brush techniques to create texture.
step 08
Add final details such as highlights, shadows, and small details to enhance realism.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · yellow ochre

secondary · raw umber · titanium white · payne's gray

Mix blues and browns to create various grays for the rocks and sky. Use diluted washes of yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the base tones and highlights.

techniques

·watercolor washes
·dry brush
·layering
·atmospheric perspective
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the watercolor washes.
→Using too much water and causing the colors to bleed uncontrollably.
→Failing to establish a clear value structure, resulting in a flat and lifeless painting.
→Neglecting to create atmospheric perspective, making the landscape appear unrealistic.