plate no. 7313

Washington Before Yorktown

oilNeoclassicismportraitfigureshorsestreesskylandscapemilitary

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as understanding atmospheric perspective and creating depth in a landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch outlining the main figures, horses, and landscape elements.
step 02
Establish the background sky and distant landscape with thin washes of color.
step 03
Block in the main shapes of the trees and foliage, paying attention to light and shadow.
step 04
Start defining the figures, focusing on proportions and anatomical accuracy.
step 05
Develop the horses, building up layers of color to create form and texture.
step 06
Refine the details of the faces, uniforms, and horse tack.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Apply final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · cadmium red · ivory black · sap green

Achieve the skin tones by mixing titanium white, yellow ochre, and a touch of cadmium red. Create the dark blues of the uniforms by mixing ultramarine blue and ivory black. Mix greens for the foliage by combining yellow ochre, sap green, and ultramarine blue.

techniques

·portraiture
·glazing
·atmospheric perspective
·layering
·blending

common pitfalls

→Incorrect proportions of figures and horses.
→Overly harsh or muddy colors.
→Lack of depth and atmospheric perspective.
→Insufficient attention to detail in the faces and uniforms.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, burnt umber, titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, ivory black, sap green)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags or paper towels