plate no. 0870
Kaunas. Saric Church.
Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, 1930
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in architectural drawing, perspective, and creating texture with brushstrokes. It also provides practice in mixing muted color palettes and rendering details in a limited color range.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the church and the tree, paying attention to perspective.
- step 02
Establish the horizon line and vanishing points.
- step 03
Block in the main areas of color: the sky, the church walls, the roof, and the tree trunk.
- step 04
Begin adding details to the church, such as windows, doors, and architectural features.
- step 05
Develop the texture of the roof tiles using short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 06
Add shadows and highlights to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Refine the details of the tree trunk, capturing its rough texture and gnarled branches.
- step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed to create a cohesive composition.
color palette
primary · titanium white · burnt sienna · ivory black
secondary · raw umber · payne's gray
Mix white with small amounts of burnt sienna and raw umber to achieve the off-white color of the church walls. Use black and burnt sienna for the tree trunk, and mix Payne's gray with white for the sky.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·linear perspective
- ·value studies
common pitfalls
- →Getting the perspective wrong, which can make the building look distorted.
- →Overworking the details, which can make the painting look stiff and unnatural.
- →Not creating enough contrast between the light and shadow areas.
- →Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·payne's gray oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a medium-textured canvas to help create texture with the brushstrokes. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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