plate no. 8916

Halt of Travellers Among Ruins

oilBaroquegenre paintingfiguresruinslandscapetravelerstentsarchitecture

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering figures in complex compositions and capturing the atmospheric perspective of a landscape with ruins. It also provides practice in creating a limited color palette and using glazes to achieve depth.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a preliminary sketch to map out the composition, focusing on the placement of the figures and the ruins.
step 02
Establish the overall tonal values with a thin wash of burnt umber or a similar earth tone.
step 03
Begin blocking in the main shapes and colors of the figures, using a limited palette of earth tones and muted colors.
step 04
Develop the details of the figures, paying attention to their gestures and expressions.
step 05
Render the ruins and landscape, using a variety of brushstrokes to create texture and depth.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create form and dimension.
step 07
Glaze over the painting with thin layers of color to unify the composition and create atmospheric perspective.
step 08
Add final details and adjustments as needed.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · ivory black

secondary · yellow ochre · titanium white · Prussian blue

Achieve the muted colors by mixing earth tones with black and white. Use small amounts of blue to create cooler shadows and atmospheric perspective.

techniques

·underpainting
·glazing
·scumbling
·chiaroscuro
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Using too much color and creating a garish effect.
→Failing to establish a strong tonal foundation.
→Losing the overall composition in the details.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (18x24 inches)
·oil paints (burnt umber, raw sienna, ivory black, yellow ochre, titanium white, Prussian blue)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife