plate no. 7821

Harlem River at High Bridge

Ernest Lawson, 1915

oil, canvasImpressionismlandscaperiverbridgebuildingstreesskycityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, as well as capturing the atmospheric perspective of a landscape. It also provides practice in depicting reflections in water and rendering architectural details with loose brushstrokes.

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 bridge, river, and cityscape.
step 02
Establish the sky with light blues and whites, blending softly.
step 03
Block in the general colors of the landscape, using a mix of greens, browns, and blues.
step 04
Define the bridge structure with neutral tones, paying attention to the arches and shadows.
step 05
Add details to the cityscape, using small brushstrokes to suggest buildings and the tower.
step 06
Paint the river, capturing the reflections of the sky and landscape with horizontal strokes.
step 07
Add the bare trees in the foreground with thin, dark lines.
step 08
Refine the details and add highlights to create depth and dimension.

color palette

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

secondary · viridian green · cadmium red

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue, and create various shades of brown by mixing burnt umber with other colors. Use white to lighten colors and create atmospheric perspective.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·wet-on-dry layering
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the impressionistic feel.
→Using too much paint and creating a muddy effect.
→Failing to capture the atmospheric perspective, making the landscape look flat.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the sky and water.