plate no. 6920
Cliffs and Moon at Night
Karl Bryullov, 1824
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and rendering reflections in water. It also provides practice in creating a sense of depth and volume using tonal variations.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the cliffs, building, and boat, paying attention to proportions.
- step 02
Establish the horizon line and the overall composition.
- step 03
Apply a thin wash of diluted blue and gray for the sky, creating a gradient from darker at the top to lighter near the horizon.
- step 04
Paint the dark masses of the cliffs and rocks, gradually building up layers of darker tones.
- step 05
Add highlights to the cliffs and rocks to create form and dimension.
- step 06
Paint the water using horizontal strokes, varying the tones to suggest ripples and reflections.
- step 07
Add the moon and its reflection, using soft, blended strokes.
- step 08
Paint the boat and add final details to the cliffs and water.
color palette
primary · Prussian Blue · Burnt Umber · Titanium White
secondary · Payne's Gray · Yellow Ochre
Mix Prussian Blue and Burnt Umber to create a range of grays and blacks. Use Titanium White to lighten these colors and create highlights. Yellow Ochre can be added in small amounts to warm up the grays.
techniques
- ·Layering
- ·Dry brushing
- ·Blending
- ·Atmospheric perspective
- ·Reflections
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details in the cliffs, losing the overall sense of form.
- →Making the water too uniform, failing to capture the movement and reflections.
- →Using too much white, resulting in a washed-out appearance.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the sky and water.
materials
surface · Stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
- ·Acrylic or oil paints
- ·Round brushes (sizes 2, 6, 8)
- ·Flat brush (size 10)
- ·Palette
- ·Palette knife
- ·Odorless mineral spirits or water (depending on paint type)
- ·Rags
optional
- ·Medium (for oil paints)
- ·Easel
- ·Reference photo print
Use a limited palette of colors to simplify the mixing process. Consider using a toned canvas to establish a base color.
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