plate no. 0220

Dam Square in Amsterdam

oilBaroquecityscapebuildingscityscapefiguresskycloudsarchitecture

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in perspective, atmospheric perspective, and rendering complex architectural details. It also provides practice in depicting figures in a believable scale and environment.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 25 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin by sketching the basic shapes of the buildings, paying attention to perspective.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and vanishing points.
step 03
Block in the sky and ground with broad washes of color.
step 04
Add the main architectural details of the buildings, focusing on accurate proportions.
step 05
Start adding the figures, beginning with the larger ones and gradually decreasing in size towards the horizon.
step 06
Refine the details of the buildings and figures, adding highlights and shadows.
step 07
Add the clouds and atmospheric effects to create depth.
step 08
Apply final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.

color palette

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

secondary · burnt sienna · ivory black · cadmium yellow light

Achieve the muted tones by mixing earth tones with white and small amounts of blue. Use glazes of burnt sienna and raw umber to create depth and shadows.

techniques