plate no. 7011
Church on a Hill
suitable for beginners
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and simplifying complex forms into basic shapes. It's also a good exercise in limited color palette painting.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 4 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the church, hill, and sky, focusing on proportions.
- step 02
Apply a thin wash of diluted grey to the sky area.
- step 03
Mix a light brown/ochre color and apply it to the hill, leaving some areas lighter.
- step 04
Using a darker grey/brown, paint the silhouette of the trees and ruins, varying the tone slightly.
- step 05
Add details to the church tower, using darker values to define the structure.
- step 06
Introduce subtle variations in the sky, adding hints of warmer grey.
- step 07
Refine the foreground with darker accents to create depth.
- step 08
Add final touches to the church and ruins, suggesting texture with dry brush strokes.
color palette
primary · grey · ochre · brown
secondary · white · black
Mix the grey using white and black, and add small amounts of brown or ochre to warm it up. The ochre can be lightened with white.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·value studies
- ·limited palette
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details
- →Making the colors too saturated
- →Ignoring the subtle value changes
- →Not establishing a clear focal point
materials
surface · watercolor paper 140lb
required
- ·watercolor paper 140lb
- ·round brushes (small and medium)
- ·grey watercolor paint
- ·ochre watercolor paint
- ·brown watercolor paint
- ·white gouache or watercolor
- ·water container
optional
- ·palette
- ·masking fluid
Using a slightly textured watercolor paper will enhance the dry brush effect. Gouache can be used to add highlights.
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