8929 The Roundup
Jerry Yarnell – Inspiration of Painting PBS Television Series

A quiet winter pasture stretches across a snowy hillside as a lone cow grazes in the foreground while a distant rider on horseback moves across the ridge beneath a soft overcast sky. In this beginner level acrylic painting lesson, Jerry guides you step-by-step through creating this peaceful western landscape in a 80 minute session on an 18x24 canvas, capturing the calm atmosphere of ranch life during winter.

You’ll learn how to build a strong composition using the hillside and foreground embankment to lead the viewer’s eye through the painting, while balancing the cow and rider to create depth and storytelling. Jerry demonstrates how to block in major shapes first, then refine them with controlled brushwork to maintain structure and atmosphere.

Special focus is given to painting snow textures and soft winter lighting using layered color and subtle value changes to create depth and realism. You’ll also explore how to paint animal forms and distant atmospheric backgrounds without over-detailing the scene.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll gain confidence in painting snowy landscapes, handling atmospheric perspective, and creating mood through light and composition. This is an excellent project for beginners looking to strengthen their skills while producing a peaceful and visually engaging western winter scene.