plate no. 5771

A View of Arnhem

oilBaroquelandscapelandscapecityscapefiguresskycloudsbuildings

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and how to create depth using value and color changes. It will also provide practice in rendering subtle gradations in the sky and land.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the horizon line and major shapes.
step 02
Establish the sky with broad, blended strokes of light and dark grays and yellows.
step 03
Block in the distant landscape with muted colors, paying attention to value changes to create depth.
step 04
Add the middle ground, defining the shapes of the buildings and trees with slightly more detail.
step 05
Paint the foreground hill with darker browns and greens, adding texture with visible brushstrokes.
step 06
Introduce the figures in the foreground, keeping them simple and silhouetted.
step 07
Refine the details of the buildings and figures, adding highlights and shadows.
step 08
Add final touches, such as birds in the sky and subtle variations in the landscape.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · payne's gray · burnt sienna

Achieve the muted tones by mixing the primary colors with small amounts of Payne's gray. Use white to lighten values and yellow ochre to add warmth.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·blending
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·value studies

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the distant landscape, losing the sense of depth.
→Using colors that are too saturated, creating an unnatural look.
→Ignoring the subtle value changes in the sky and land, resulting in a flat image.
→Making the foreground too dark or too detailed, drawing attention away from the focal point.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·raw umber oil paint
·titanium white oil paint
·yellow ochre oil paint
·payne's gray oil paint
·burnt sienna oil paint
·round brushes
·flat brushes

optional

·palette knife
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits

Use a medium-grit canvas to allow for both smooth blending and textured brushstrokes. Consider toning the canvas with a thin wash of raw umber before beginning.

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