plate no. 1105

Winter landscape

Peder Mørk Mønsted, 1920

oil, canvasAcademicismlandscapesnowtreesmountainsskywinterlandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and how to depict the subtle color variations in snow under different lighting conditions. It's also a good exercise in layering and creating depth.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the trees and mountains.
step 02
Establish the sky with a light blue wash, blending it softly.
step 03
Block in the distant mountains with a muted blue-gray tone, paying attention to value.
step 04
Begin layering the snow on the trees, starting with darker shadows and gradually adding highlights.
step 05
Paint the foreground snow, varying the color temperature to create depth.
step 06
Add details to the trees, such as branches and snow clumps.
step 07
Refine the ski tracks in the snow, paying attention to their perspective.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · raw umber

secondary · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · ivory black

Mix white with small amounts of blue and umber to create the various shades of snow. Use burnt sienna and yellow ochre to add warmth to the snow in the foreground. Add black to create the darker shadows.

techniques

·layering
·dry brushing
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·value control

common pitfalls

→Making the snow too uniformly white, losing the subtle color variations.
→Not establishing a clear light source, resulting in flat and unconvincing shadows.
→Overworking the details, making the painting look stiff and unnatural.
→Ignoring the atmospheric perspective, causing the distant mountains to appear too sharp.