plate no. 3138
Alexandria at Night
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the effects of light at night. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, streetlights, and figures, focusing on composition.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of a dark neutral color.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color, starting with the darkest values and working towards the lighter ones.
- step 04
Develop the sky and clouds, paying attention to the subtle gradations of color and value.
- step 05
Add details to the buildings and streetlights, focusing on the highlights and shadows.
- step 06
Refine the figures, simplifying their forms and suggesting their movement.
- step 07
Add final touches and highlights to create a sense of atmosphere and depth.
- step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the colors and values.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · yellow ochre
secondary · titanium white · cadmium yellow
Mix ultramarine blue and burnt umber for the dark, moody tones. Use yellow ochre and cadmium yellow to create the warm glow of the streetlights. Add titanium white to lighten the colors and create highlights.
techniques
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·glazing
- ·value blocking
- ·wet-on-dry layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of atmosphere.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure early on.
- →Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
- →Not simplifying the forms of the figures and buildings.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium yellow oil paint
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·retouch varnish
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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