plate no. 2989
Arch of Sant'Eligio
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing light and shadow to create depth. It also provides practice in painting figures in motion and simplifying details to create a sense of a bustling street scene.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the arch, the buildings, and the general placement of figures.
- step 02
Establish the darkest darks and lightest lights to define the value structure.
- step 03
Block in the main color areas, focusing on the overall temperature of each section (warm sunlight vs. cool shadows).
- step 04
Refine the shapes of the buildings and arch, paying attention to perspective.
- step 05
Add details to the figures, simplifying their forms and focusing on capturing their movement.
- step 06
Introduce subtle color variations within the light and shadow areas to create depth.
- step 07
Add highlights to suggest the direction of light and create focal points.
- step 08
Refine edges and add final details to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light
Mix shades of gray and brown by combining raw umber, ultramarine blue, and white. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna to create warm highlights. Add small amounts of cadmium red to warm up the browns.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·alla prima
- ·impasto
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall impressionistic feel.
- →Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
- →Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating depth.
- →Failing to simplify the figures and buildings, resulting in a cluttered composition.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
- ·oil paints (raw umber, yellow ochre, titanium white, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium red light)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·assorted brushes (round and flat)
- ·linseed oil
- ·mineral spirits
- ·rags
optional
- ·medium (e.g., Liquin)
- ·varnish
Use a limited palette of colors to simplify the mixing process. Consider using a toned canvas to establish a base color.
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