plate no. 9552

Washing on the Ice

Pekka Halonen, 1900

oil, canvasRealismgenre paintingfiguresnowwinterbuildingsbucketlandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice mixing muted colors and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective. It also offers a good exercise in figure painting with limited detail.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, paying attention to the placement of the figure, bucket, and buildings.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the snow, sky, and buildings, using thin washes.
step 03
Add the figure, focusing on the shapes and proportions rather than fine details.
step 04
Develop the details of the bucket and the ice hole, adding shadows and highlights.
step 05
Refine the background buildings and trees, using lighter values to suggest distance.
step 06
Add subtle variations in the snow to create texture and depth.
step 07
Glaze the entire painting with a thin layer of a neutral tone to unify the colors.
step 08
Add final details and highlights.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · burnt sienna

secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black

Achieve the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of raw umber, burnt sienna, and black. Use yellow ochre sparingly to add warmth to the buildings and snow.

techniques