plate no. 2975

View of Kremlin

Vasily Surikov, 1913

oilRealismcityscapecityscapesnowbuildingsarchitecturewinterKremlin

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing subtle color variations in snow and overcast skies. It's also a good exercise in depicting architectural details with simplified brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes of the buildings and towers, paying attention to their relative sizes and positions.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of neutral gray or brown, indicating the areas of light and shadow.
step 03
Begin blocking in the larger areas of color, starting with the sky and the dominant colors of the buildings.
step 04
Mix a range of cool and warm grays and whites to represent the snow-covered surfaces, varying the color temperature to create depth.
step 05
Add details to the buildings, such as windows, roofs, and architectural features, using small, deliberate brushstrokes.
step 06
Introduce subtle color variations in the sky and snow to create a sense of atmosphere and realism.
step 07
Refine the edges of the buildings and towers, softening some and sharpening others to create visual interest.
step 08
Add final touches, such as the bare branches of trees and any other small details that enhance the composition.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · burnt sienna

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Mix whites with small amounts of raw umber and burnt sienna for the snow. Use ultramarine blue and raw umber to create cool grays for shadows. Add yellow ochre to warm up the building colors.

techniques

·dry brush texture
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·broken color
·color temperature variation

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impressionistic feel.
→Using too much pure white, resulting in a flat and unrealistic depiction of snow.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the sky and snow.
→Creating hard edges that flatten the composition.