plate no. 7189

Island Village, Coast of Maine

Rockwell Kent, 1909

oilAmerican Realismlandscapeislandvillageseaskycloudslandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and color mixing to create depth. It also provides practice in rendering architectural forms in a landscape setting.

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 horizon line and the placement of the island and village.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: sky, sea, island, and foreground.
step 03
Establish the value structure, paying attention to the light and shadow on the clouds and land.
step 04
Begin refining the details of the village, using smaller brushes to define the buildings and pathways.
step 05
Add details to the island, including the texture of the land and the shadows cast by the hills.
step 06
Refine the sky and sea, blending the colors to create a sense of atmosphere.
step 07
Add the foreground elements, such as the rocks and trees, paying attention to their texture and detail.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to create a cohesive and balanced painting.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · raw umber · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · cadmium red light

Mix various shades of blue and white for the sky. Use raw umber and yellow ochre for the land, adding burnt sienna for warmer tones. Create the dark blues of the sea by mixing ultramarine blue with raw umber.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·color mixing
·blocking in
·layering
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the village too early.
→Failing to create a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
→Using colors that are too saturated, resulting in a flat and unrealistic painting.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value in the sky and sea.