plate no. 6688

Brooklyn Bridge

Ernest Lawson, 1920

oil, canvasImpressionismcityscapebridgecityscapewaterbuildingsskymoon

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and layering colors to create depth and mood. It also provides practice in capturing the essence of a scene rather than precise details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the bridge, buildings, and horizon line using light pencil strokes.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of muted green and yellow to establish the overall atmospheric tone.
step 03
Block in the larger shapes of the bridge towers and buildings with darker greens and browns.
step 04
Begin layering colors to define the details of the bridge structure, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 05
Add highlights to the water and buildings to create a sense of light and reflection.
step 06
Soften edges and blend colors to create a hazy, atmospheric effect.
step 07
Add the moon and its reflection using light yellows and oranges.
step 08
Refine details and adjust values to achieve the desired mood and depth.

color palette

primary · viridian green · yellow ochre · raw umber

secondary · cadmium yellow · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue

Mix greens by combining viridian green with yellow ochre or cadmium yellow. Create muted tones by adding raw umber or ultramarine blue to your mixtures. Use burnt sienna for the moon and its reflections.

techniques

·broken color
·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling
·layering
·wet-on-wet blending

common pitfalls

→Overworking details and losing the overall atmospheric effect.
→Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
→Failing to create a sense of depth and distance.
→Making the brushstrokes too uniform and losing the texture.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (viridian green, yellow ochre, raw umber, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, titanium white)
·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·palette knife