plate no. 1761

Snow River

Sergey Ryabchenko, 1979

paper, pencilRealismlandscapetreeswaterlandscapereflectionriverbankfoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this drawing will help students develop skills in rendering textures with pencil and understanding how light interacts with water to create reflections. It also provides practice in creating depth through varying line weights and tonal values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition, focusing on the placement of the trees and the horizon line.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the drawing, such as the tree trunks and shadowed areas of the riverbank.
step 03
Begin adding mid-tones to the water and sky, using horizontal strokes to suggest the flatness of the water.
step 04
Develop the texture of the foliage using short, broken lines and varying pressure.
step 05
Add details to the tree branches, paying attention to their overlapping structure.
step 06
Refine the reflections in the water, mirroring the shapes and values of the trees and sky.
step 07
Adjust the overall tonal balance, adding darker values where needed to create depth and contrast.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to enhance the realism of the drawing.