plate no. 1646

Sheep

William Sidney Cooper, 1904

oilRealismlandscapesheeplandscapegrassskycloudscoastline

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting soft textures and creating atmospheric perspective. It also offers practice in rendering realistic animal forms within a landscape setting.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, including the horizon line, coastline, and the placement of the sheep.
step 02
Block in the sky with light blue, gradually adding white for the clouds.
step 03
Establish the base colors for the landscape, differentiating between the grassy areas and the hillside.
step 04
Begin adding details to the hillside, including variations in color and texture to suggest depth.
step 05
Paint the sheep, starting with the larger masses and then adding details like wool texture and facial features.
step 06
Add the yellow gorse bush, paying attention to the structure of the branches and the distribution of the flowers.
step 07
Refine the details of the foreground, including the grass and any small flowers or plants.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension throughout the painting.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · titanium white · yellow ochre · sap green

secondary · burnt sienna · raw umber · cadmium yellow light

Mix greens by blending yellow ochre and cerulean blue. Use burnt sienna and raw umber to create earth tones for the hillside and shadows on the sheep. Add white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques