plate no. 1052
Winter Forest
Victor Zaretsky, 1987
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, and in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values. It's also a good exercise in capturing a winter mood with a limited palette.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the trees and the figure.
- step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of blues and grays.
- step 03
Block in the larger shapes of the trees and snow with corresponding light and dark values.
- step 04
Add the tree trunks and branches using thin, vertical strokes.
- step 05
Layer in the snow details using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 06
Introduce subtle color variations in the snow and trees to create depth.
- step 07
Paint the figure in the background with a simple, light color.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust values as needed to create a cohesive composition.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · raw umber
secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black
Mix various shades of gray by combining white, blue, and umber. Use yellow ochre to warm up the tree trunks and branches. Add small amounts of black to darken the blues and umbers.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·layering
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
- →Making the colors too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of winter.
- →Failing to create depth by not varying the values.
- →Making the brushstrokes too uniform and not creating enough texture.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
Use a medium-textured canvas to help create texture. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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