plate no. 5130

Caltagirone all’alba

Antonietta Raphael, 1951

oilExpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingsskysunsethouseshills

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in capturing the mood of a sunset and suggesting architectural details without precise rendering.

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 buildings and the horizon line.
step 02
Block in the sky with broad strokes of color, focusing on the sunset gradient.
step 03
Establish the dark masses of the hills and the general color tones of the buildings.
step 04
Begin layering colors on the buildings, using short, visible brushstrokes to suggest texture and form.
step 05
Add details to the windows and rooftops, using contrasting colors to create highlights and shadows.
step 06
Refine the sky and sunset, adding more layers of color and blending where necessary.
step 07
Add final details and highlights to the buildings to enhance the sense of depth and dimension.
step 08
Evaluate the overall composition and make any necessary adjustments.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · violet · burnt sienna · sap green

Mix various shades of purple and orange for the sky. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the buildings, adding touches of blue and red to create shadows and highlights. Mix greens for the distant hills.

techniques

·impasto
·broken color
·scumbling
·layering
·dry brush

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Getting lost in details too early, before establishing the overall composition.
→Using too much paint, which can obscure the texture.
→Not varying the brushstrokes enough, leading to a flat, uniform look.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, cadmium red, yellow ochre, titanium white, burnt sienna, violet, sap green)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife
·rags