plate no. 6754

American Landscape

Charles Sheeler, 1930

oil, canvasNew Realismcityscapeindustrybuildingswatertrainsskycranes

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in linear perspective, color mixing for muted tones, and creating reflections in water. It also provides practice in simplifying complex industrial scenes into geometric forms.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and perspective lines of the buildings, cranes, and train cars.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the waterline, paying attention to their relationship.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color: sky, water, buildings, and piles of material.
step 04
Mix and apply the muted colors for the sky, using subtle variations to suggest clouds.
step 05
Develop the reflections in the water, using vertical strokes and slightly desaturated colors.
step 06
Add details to the buildings and train cars, focusing on geometric shapes and clean lines.
step 07
Paint the crane, paying attention to its structure and the way it overlaps other elements.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to create depth and dimension.

color palette

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

secondary · burnt sienna · ivory black · cadmium yellow

Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors (e.g., blue and orange) with white. Use raw umber and white for many of the neutral building colors. Add small amounts of other colors to adjust the temperature.

techniques