plate no. 5021

Berlingen Seen from the Untersee

Adolf Dietrich, 1926

oilNaïve Art (Primitivism)landscapelakebuildingsskytreeswaterlandscape

suitable for beginners

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle gradations and in creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in rendering simple architectural forms and reflections.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, dividing the canvas into sky, land, and water.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the placement of the buildings and distant hills.
step 03
Block in the sky with a light blue-gray wash, blending subtly to create cloud effects.
step 04
Paint the distant hills with muted greens and blues, using lighter values for areas further away.
step 05
Block in the water with a gradient of blues, from darker at the bottom to lighter near the horizon.
step 06
Add the buildings and trees, using simple shapes and colors.
step 07
Paint the reflections of the buildings and trees in the water, using slightly darker and blurred versions of the original colors.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to the buildings, trees, and water to create depth and interest.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · sap green

Mix blues and white for the sky and water, adding small amounts of raw umber for the grayer tones. Use yellow ochre and raw umber to create the earth tones for the land and buildings. Mix sap green with yellow ochre and raw umber for the foliage.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·color blending
·simple shapes
·reflection rendering
·gradation

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details, which can detract from the painting's simplicity.
→Using colors that are too saturated, which can make the painting look unnatural.
→Failing to create a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
→Making the reflections too sharp or detailed.