plate no. 2132
La Grosse Tour
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and subtle color blending to create depth and mood. It also provides practice in rendering reflections in water and depicting distant objects with less detail.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Begin with a light sketch outlining the main shapes: the tower, the shoreline, and the boats.
- step 02
Establish the sky with a thin wash of blended blues, grays, and yellows, paying attention to the cloud formations.
- step 03
Block in the large shapes of the landmass and the tower with basic brown and green tones.
- step 04
Start defining the water, using horizontal strokes and reflecting the colors of the sky and land.
- step 05
Add details to the boats and figures, keeping them small and simplified.
- step 06
Refine the details of the tower and buildings, adding texture and subtle variations in color.
- step 07
Work on the atmospheric perspective by lightening and blurring distant objects.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · Prussian blue
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · payne's gray
Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors and white. Use thin washes of color to build up layers and create depth. Mix blues and browns to create the grays for the sky and water.
techniques
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·glazing
- ·scumbling
- ·wet-on-dry blending
- ·broken color
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Using colors that are too saturated or bright.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
- →Making the reflections in the water too literal or detailed.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·Prussian blue oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas to allow for texture. Consider toning the canvas with a thin wash of raw umber before starting.
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