plate no. 8169
Cliff
Vincenzo Cabianca, 1872
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in blocking in shapes and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It's also a good exercise in limited palette color mixing and atmospheric perspective.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the rocks and the horizon line.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of pale gray-blue.
- step 03
Establish the main values on the rocks with a mid-tone brown.
- step 04
Add darker shadows to the rocks, paying attention to the light source.
- step 05
Introduce lighter highlights to create form and texture.
- step 06
Paint the sea and the figure in the distance, using muted colors.
- step 07
Refine the details of the rocks and the figure.
- step 08
Add final touches and adjust values as needed.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white
secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre
Mix browns by combining burnt umber and raw sienna. Use white to lighten values and blue to cool down colors for the sky and sea. Add a touch of yellow ochre to warm up the browns.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·color blending
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·blocking in
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early.
- →Using too much paint and losing the texture.
- →Not paying attention to the light source and shadows.
- →Making the colors too saturated.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a canvas with a medium texture to enhance the brushstrokes. Consider using a fast-drying medium to speed up the drying time.
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