plate no. 7778

Washington's entry into New York

oilRomanticismhistory paintingfigureshorsesbuildingsflagscrowdhistorical event

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in figure drawing, perspective, and creating a sense of depth through layering and atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in rendering fabrics and textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch to establish the overall composition and placement of figures and buildings.
step 02
Block in the main shapes and colors of the background buildings and sky.
step 03
Establish the basic forms of the horses and figures, paying attention to proportions and anatomy.
step 04
Start adding details to the figures, including clothing, faces, and hands.
step 05
Refine the details of the horses, including the tack and musculature.
step 06
Add details to the background elements, such as flags and architectural details.
step 07
Work on the foreground details, including the ground and any figures in the immediate foreground.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · Prussian blue · Cadmium yellow · Titanium white · Burnt umber

secondary · Crimson · Payne's gray · Yellow Ochre

Mix various shades of blue and gray for the uniforms and sky. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights. Mix burnt umber with blue and yellow to create earth tones for the ground and buildings.

techniques

·Figure drawing
·Atmospheric perspective
·Layering
·Color mixing
·Rendering fabrics

common pitfalls

→Incorrect proportions of figures and horses
→Flat or lifeless colors
→Lack of depth and dimension
→Overworking details too early
→Ignoring the overall composition

materials

surface · Stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 18x24
·#2 round brush
·#6 flat brush
·#10 filbert brush
·Acrylic or oil paints (Prussian blue, Cadmium yellow, Titanium white, Burnt umber, Crimson, Payne's gray, Yellow Ochre)
·Palette
·Linseed oil or acrylic medium