plate no. 6166
Cirque de Gavarnie
some experience helpful
This painting helps students develop skills in tonal shading and creating depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in rendering textures of rocks and mountains using hatching and cross-hatching techniques.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
2
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and composition, focusing on the mountain ranges and waterfall.
- step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the rocks and mountains using a dark value.
- step 03
Begin building up the mid-tones using hatching and cross-hatching, varying the density of lines to create different values.
- step 04
Pay close attention to the direction of light and shadow to create form and depth.
- step 05
Render the waterfall with delicate lines, suggesting the movement of water.
- step 06
Use lighter values for the distant mountains to create atmospheric perspective.
- step 07
Add details to the rocks and foreground, using a variety of line weights and textures.
- step 08
Refine the overall tonal balance and add any final details.
color palette
primary · black · white · gray
secondary · light gray · dark gray
Achieve different shades of gray by varying the ratio of black and white. Use diluted black ink or watercolor for lighter tones.
techniques
- ·hatching
- ·cross-hatching
- ·stippling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·tonal shading
common pitfalls
- →Creating overly uniform shading, resulting in a flat appearance.
- →Ignoring the direction of light, leading to inconsistent shadows.
- →Failing to create enough contrast between the foreground and background.
- →Overworking the details, resulting in a cluttered composition.
materials
surface · Smooth drawing paper
required
- ·Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
- ·Eraser
- ·Drawing paper (smooth or slightly textured)
- ·Ruler
- ·Blending stump or tortillon
- ·Fine liner pens (optional)
optional
- ·Watercolor paints
- ·Ink
- ·Brushes
Use a variety of pencil grades to achieve different values. Experiment with different hatching and cross-hatching techniques to create texture.
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