plate no. 7620

Dovedale by Moonlight

oil, canvasRomanticismlandscapemoonlightlandscapemountainstreesskyclouds

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and how to create a sense of depth using value and color temperature. It also provides practice in rendering subtle gradations of light and shadow in a nocturnal scene.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the mountains, trees, and moon.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of dark green and brown tones.
step 03
Begin layering in the sky, blending the green and white to create a soft, luminous effect around the moon.
step 04
Develop the mountains, using darker values to create depth and lighter values to suggest reflected moonlight.
step 05
Paint the trees in the foreground, paying attention to the silhouette and the details of the branches.
step 06
Add the clouds, using soft blending to create a sense of atmosphere.
step 07
Refine the details, such as the highlights on the water and the texture of the rocks.
step 08
Add final touches to the moon and its glow.

color palette

primary · viridian green · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · raw umber · yellow ochre · payne's gray

Mix greens by blending viridian green with ivory black and titanium white for highlights. Use raw umber and payne's gray to darken the shadows. Yellow ochre can be added to the white to create the moon's glow.

techniques