plate no. 5938

The Winter Day

Konstantin Yuon, 1910

oil, canvasImpressionismlandscapesnowtreesvillageskybuildingswinter

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and how to depict snow with subtle color variations. It also provides practice in painting bare tree branches and simple architectural forms.

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 horizon line and the placement of the trees and village.
step 02
Establish the sky with a light blue wash, allowing for subtle variations in tone.
step 03
Block in the snow-covered ground, using a mix of white, blue, and a touch of brown to create shadows and depth.
step 04
Paint the distant village with simplified shapes and muted colors, paying attention to atmospheric perspective.
step 05
Add the bare trees, using thin lines and varying the thickness to create a sense of depth.
step 06
Introduce the smaller trees in the midground, using vertical strokes to suggest their forms.
step 07
Refine the details of the snow, adding subtle shadows and highlights to create texture.
step 08
Add final touches to the trees, adjusting the lines and adding small branches.

color palette

primary · titanium white · cerulean blue · raw umber

secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

Mix white with small amounts of blue and brown for the snow. Use burnt sienna and raw umber for the tree branches. Muted greens can be achieved by mixing blue, yellow ochre, and a touch of burnt sienna.

techniques

·dry brush
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·layering
·broken color

common pitfalls

→Making the snow too uniformly white.
→Overworking the details of the trees.
→Ignoring atmospheric perspective, causing the distant village to appear too sharp.
→Using too much detail in the background.