plate no. 9703
Campania
Antonio Jacobsen, 1895
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting atmospheric perspective and rendering realistic waves. It also provides practice in painting detailed architectural elements on a ship.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the ship, horizon line, and cloud formations.
- step 02
Block in the sky with light blue, gradually adding white for the clouds.
- step 03
Establish the base color of the ocean using a mix of greens and blues, varying the values to create depth.
- step 04
Paint the hull of the ship with dark tones, adding highlights to suggest form.
- step 05
Add details to the ship's structure, including the funnels, masts, and railings.
- step 06
Render the waves with short, choppy brushstrokes, using white and light blues to create highlights.
- step 07
Paint the smoke coming from the funnels with grays and whites, blending the edges to create a soft effect.
- step 08
Add final details and adjust values to create a sense of realism.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber · cadmium red
secondary · yellow ochre · payne's gray
Mix blues and whites for the sky, adding a touch of yellow ochre for warmth. Use burnt umber and ultramarine blue for the dark tones of the ship. Mix greens and blues with white for the ocean, varying the proportions to create different shades.
techniques
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·wave rendering
- ·dry brushing
- ·blending
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure in the ocean.
- →Overworking the details on the ship, making it look flat.
- →Creating overly uniform wave patterns.
- →Not blending the smoke properly, making it look unnatural.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·oil paints
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·#2 filbert brush
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·turpentine
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use good quality oil paints for best results. Pre-toned canvas can help to establish the mid-tones.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
