plate no. 9604

View of the Lake of Ermenonville

oilNeoclassicismlandscapelaketreesfiguresboatlandscapefoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and rendering complex foliage with subtle color variations. It also provides practice in depicting figures in a landscape setting.

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 lake, trees, and figures.
step 02
Establish the sky and water with thin washes of color, paying attention to the subtle gradations of light.
step 03
Begin blocking in the larger masses of trees and foliage, using a variety of greens and browns.
step 04
Add details to the trees, creating texture and depth with smaller brushstrokes.
step 05
Paint the figures in the boat and on the shore, paying attention to their proportions and poses.
step 06
Refine the reflections in the water, using slightly darker and less saturated versions of the colors above.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to create a harmonious and balanced composition.

color palette

primary · sap green · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow

Achieve the various greens by mixing sap green with yellow ochre and raw umber. Use ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson to create muted purples and grays for shadows.

techniques