plate no. 4704

City view

oilRealismcityscapecityscapebuildingsskyfigurestreesplaza

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective, color mixing for realistic tones, and depicting architectural details with simplified forms. It also provides practice in rendering figures in a landscape setting.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, trees, and figures, paying attention to perspective.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and vanishing points.
step 03
Block in the sky with light blues and whites, creating soft clouds.
step 04
Apply a base layer of color to the buildings, using a mix of browns, reds, and ochres.
step 05
Add darker values to create shadows and define architectural details.
step 06
Paint the trees with varying shades of green and brown, suggesting foliage texture.
step 07
Add figures and details in the plaza, simplifying their forms and colors.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust values to create depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · ultramarine blue · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · cadmium red · raw sienna · ivory black

Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors and adding white. Create atmospheric perspective by lightening and desaturating colors in the distance.

techniques