plate no. 1334

Winter Landscape with Ice Skaters

oilBaroquelandscapewinterlandscapefiguresicebuildingstrees

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and painting figures in a landscape. Students will also learn to create a sense of depth and distance using value and color.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of buildings, trees, and the horizon line.
step 02
Establish the sky with a light, muted color, blending it smoothly.
step 03
Block in the large shapes of the buildings and trees, using darker values for the foreground and lighter values for the background.
step 04
Begin adding details to the buildings, such as windows, doors, and rooflines.
step 05
Paint the ice surface, creating a sense of depth with subtle variations in color and value.
step 06
Add the figures, starting with the larger figures in the foreground and gradually decreasing the size of the figures in the background.
step 07
Refine the details of the figures, such as clothing and facial features.
step 08
Add final touches, such as birds in the sky and shadows on the ice.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · ivory black

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · Prussian blue

Achieve the muted tones by mixing the primary colors with white. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the buildings and trees. Mix Prussian blue with white and umber for the sky and ice.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·glazing
·scumbling
·figure painting
·linear perspective

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the background, which can flatten the sense of depth.
→Using colors that are too bright or saturated, which can detract from the overall mood of the painting.
→Making the figures too uniform in size and shape.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value on the ice surface.