plate no. 5719

Divided and Divided

Ivan Albright, 1941

oilMagic Realismcityscaperockswatertreesskycoastlineclouds

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering complex textures and atmospheric perspective. It also offers practice in color mixing to achieve realistic earth tones and subtle variations in light and shadow.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the horizon line and major rock formations.
step 02
Establish the sky with broad strokes, blending colors to create cloud formations.
step 03
Block in the distant trees and coastline, paying attention to their relative values and colors.
step 04
Lay in the base colors for the water, reflecting the sky and surrounding landscape.
step 05
Begin building up the rock formations with layers of color, focusing on light and shadow.
step 06
Add details to the rocks, using dry brush techniques to create texture and variation.
step 07
Refine the water surface, adding subtle reflections and ripples.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall depth and realism.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · ivory black

Achieve the earthy tones by mixing burnt umber and raw sienna with small amounts of ultramarine blue and white. Use yellow ochre and cadmium red light to create warmer highlights on the rocks. Mix ivory black with ultramarine blue and white for the darker areas of the sky and water.

techniques