plate no. 8383

Thales Causing the River to Flow on Both Sides of the Lydian Army

oil, canvasBaroquehistory paintingfiguresriverlandscapetreescloudssoldiers

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting complex scenes with many figures and atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in rendering textures of rocks, trees, and water using loose brushwork.

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 placement of the figures and the overall landscape.
step 02
Establish the dark background tones using burnt umber and black.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the rocks, trees, and figures with mid-tones.
step 04
Start adding highlights to the clouds and the figures in the foreground.
step 05
Develop the details of the figures, paying attention to their anatomy and clothing.
step 06
Refine the textures of the rocks and trees using dry brush techniques.
step 07
Add reflections in the water, using lighter tones and broken brushstrokes.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers of color to unify the painting and create depth.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red · yellow ochre

Achieve the dark, earthy tones by mixing burnt umber and black. Use white to create highlights and add small amounts of blue or red to create subtle color variations.

techniques