plate no. 6971

The Slick Ear

Charles M. Russell, 1914

oilRomanticismgenre paintingcowboyscattlehorseslandscapemountainssky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting movement and creating atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in rendering complex forms like animals and figures in a dynamic composition.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch to establish the overall composition and placement of major elements like the cowboys, cattle, and landscape features.
step 02
Block in the main shapes and values using thin washes of color, focusing on the overall light and shadow patterns.
step 03
Develop the sky and distant mountains, paying attention to atmospheric perspective by using lighter and cooler colors for distant objects.
step 04
Start building up the forms of the cowboys and horses, gradually adding details and refining their shapes.
step 05
Focus on the cattle, using a variety of browns, whites, and reds to create visual interest and depth.
step 06
Add details to the foreground, including rocks, vegetation, and other elements that help to ground the composition.
step 07
Refine the overall painting, paying attention to edges, values, and color harmony.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to create a sense of realism and depth.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · ivory black

Achieve the dusty, muted tones by mixing earth tones with white and small amounts of blue or crimson. Use glazes of thinned color to build up depth and create subtle variations in tone.

techniques