plate no. 6862

Winter Landscape With River And Bird

oil, canvasImpressionismlandscaperiversnowskybirdlandscapewater

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand color temperature and how to create the illusion of depth using atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in painting reflections and capturing the texture of snow.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, paying attention to the placement of the horizon line and the river's flow.
step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue, blending it slightly towards the horizon.
step 03
Establish the large shapes of the snow banks using white mixed with small amounts of blue, ochre, and brown for shadows.
step 04
Paint the river using dark blues and browns, adding lighter reflections of the sky and snow.
step 05
Add details to the snow banks, defining the shapes and shadows with varied brushstrokes.
step 06
Paint the bird, paying attention to its form and the way it interacts with the water.
step 07
Refine the reflections in the water, adding subtle variations in color and tone.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · burnt umber

secondary · yellow ochre · raw sienna · ivory black

Mix white with blue and a touch of yellow ochre to create the cool tones of the snow. Use burnt umber and ultramarine blue for the darker values in the water and shadows.

techniques