plate no. 8053

Winter

oilRealismlandscapesnowlandscapefiguresbuildingsskywinter

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand how to depict light and shadow on snow and how to create atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in rendering figures in a landscape setting.

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 horizon line and the main elements (buildings, figures, path).
step 02
Establish the sky color with a thin wash of blue, blending it slightly towards the horizon.
step 03
Block in the large areas of snow, using a mix of white and blue for the shadows and warmer whites for the sunlit areas.
step 04
Add the buildings, focusing on their shapes and the shadows cast by the snow on their roofs.
step 05
Paint the figures, paying attention to their proportions and the folds in their clothing.
step 06
Add details to the foreground, such as the footprints in the snow and the dried vegetation.
step 07
Refine the shadows and highlights throughout the painting, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final details, such as the birds in the sky and any small highlights on the snow.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · burnt umber

secondary · yellow ochre · raw sienna · ivory black

Mix white with small amounts of blue to create the cool tones of the snow shadows. Use burnt umber and yellow ochre to create the warm tones of the buildings and vegetation. Add black to umber for the dark figures.

techniques