plate no. 8692

Landscape of Barcelona

Rubén de Luis, 2022

oilImpressionismlandscapecityscapetreesskywaterbuildingsmountains

some experience helpful

This painting provides practice in layering colors to create depth and atmosphere, and simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values. Students can learn to create a sense of distance by using lighter values and less detail in the background.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, dividing the canvas into sky, city, and foreground.
step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue, gradually blending in subtle variations.
step 03
Establish the distant mountains with a muted purple-gray.
step 04
Roughly block in the city using light grays and whites, adding touches of warm colors for the rooftops.
step 05
Paint the water with varying shades of turquoise and blue, reflecting the sky.
step 06
Define the foreground trees and foliage with dark greens and browns, adding highlights.
step 07
Add details to the buildings and structures in the city, keeping them simplified.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting values and colors as needed.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · titanium white · sap green · raw umber

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna

Mix various greens by combining sap green with yellows and browns. Achieve the sky color by mixing cerulean blue and white, adding a touch of yellow for warmth. Use ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson to create the purple-gray for the mountains.

techniques

·layering
·blending
·broken color
·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details in the city, losing the impressionistic feel.
→Making the foreground too dark and overpowering the rest of the painting.
→Not creating enough atmospheric perspective, resulting in a flat image.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing, leading to a lack of harmony.