plate no. 6409

Skaters on River

Marie Duhem, 1910

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapesnowtreesfigureslandscapewintersky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting atmospheric perspective and using broken color to create a sense of light and texture.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the trees, figures, and horizon line.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the sky and the snow-covered ground.
step 03
Add the darker tones of the trees, using vertical brushstrokes to suggest their form.
step 04
Paint the figures with simple shapes, paying attention to their relative sizes and positions.
step 05
Mix and apply the colors of the snow, using short, broken brushstrokes to capture the texture and shadows.
step 06
Add details to the trees, such as branches and twigs.
step 07
Refine the shapes and colors of the figures, adding highlights and shadows.
step 08
Add final touches, such as the fence and any other small details.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red

Mix white with yellow ochre and a touch of burnt umber for the warm highlights in the snow and sky. Add ultramarine blue to white for the cool shadows in the snow. Use burnt umber and ultramarine blue for the darker tones of the trees and figures.

techniques

·broken color
·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Making the colors too saturated and not capturing the subtle variations in tone.
→Not paying attention to the relative sizes and positions of the figures.
→Creating overly defined edges.