plate no. 1840

A View of Posilippo, Naples

oil, canvasRomanticismcityscapecityscapebuildingsoceanskyfiguresstreet

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and rendering complex scenes with many details. It also provides practice in capturing the effects of light and shadow on various surfaces.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch to establish the basic composition and perspective lines.
step 02
Block in the large shapes of the buildings, sea, and sky with thin washes of color.
step 03
Establish the horizon line and the distant mountain range.
step 04
Start adding details to the buildings, focusing on the play of light and shadow.
step 05
Paint the sky using soft, blended brushstrokes to create a sense of atmosphere.
step 06
Add the figures and carriages, simplifying their forms and focusing on their placement within the scene.
step 07
Develop the foreground details, such as the wall and the figures along it.
step 08
Refine the details and add highlights to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · raw umber · ultramarine blue

secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium red light · ivory black

Achieve the atmospheric haze by mixing white with small amounts of blue, yellow ochre, and raw umber. Use burnt sienna and cadmium red for the warmer tones in the buildings and figures.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·broken color
·scumbling
·glazing
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Getting lost in the details too early.
→Failing to establish a strong sense of perspective.
→Overworking the colors and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Not creating enough atmospheric perspective, making the background appear too sharp.