plate no. 5442
At the lake Como. Italy.
Isaac Levitan, 1894
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the essence of a landscape with loose, expressive brushstrokes. It's a good exercise in simplifying complex scenes into manageable color blocks.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes: mountains, landmass, water, and buildings.
- step 02
Establish the horizon line and the main compositional elements.
- step 03
Block in the sky with a light blue-gray wash.
- step 04
Apply the base color for the water, a mix of green and blue.
- step 05
Add darker greens and browns to the landmass and trees, varying the tones.
- step 06
Paint the buildings with a mix of ochre, red, and white, keeping the details minimal.
- step 07
Layer in highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Add final details like reflections in the water and subtle variations in the sky.
color palette
primary · cerulean blue · yellow ochre · titanium white · viridian green
secondary · burnt umber · cadmium red light · payne's gray
Mix greens by combining blue and yellow ochre, and grays by mixing blue and burnt umber. Use white to lighten colors and create atmospheric perspective.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·broken color
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·color layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
- →Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
- →Ignoring the atmospheric perspective and failing to create depth.
- →Making the water too uniform and lacking variation.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·cerulean blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·#6 round brush
- ·#8 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas to allow for texture. A limited palette will help maintain color harmony.
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