plate no. 9996

A Distant View of Saint Peter's, Rome

oil, canvasRomanticismcityscapecityscapetreesfountainfiguresanimalsarchitecture

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and rendering soft, diffused light. It also provides practice in depicting figures and animals in a landscape setting.

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 fountain, trees, and distant cityscape.
step 02
Establish the overall warm tone of the sky with a thin wash of yellow ochre and burnt sienna.
step 03
Block in the dark masses of the trees using a mix of burnt umber and ultramarine blue.
step 04
Add details to the fountain, paying attention to its form and the reflections in the water.
step 05
Paint the distant cityscape, using lighter values and less detail to create atmospheric perspective.
step 06
Add the figures and animals, keeping them small and simple.
step 07
Refine the details of the trees, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to the fountain and figures.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · burnt umber

secondary · ultramarine blue · titanium white

Achieve the warm sky by mixing yellow ochre and burnt sienna with varying amounts of white. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create dark greens and browns for the trees. Mix white with small amounts of other colors to create the light tones for the buildings and animals.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·glazing
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·soft blending

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the distant cityscape.
→Making the figures too large or detailed.
→Using too much contrast in the trees, flattening the composition.
→Failing to establish a consistent light source.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt sienna, burnt umber, ultramarine blue, titanium white)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·assorted brushes (round and flat)

optional