plate no. 7845
Mosque of Mohammed Bey, Cairo
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting architectural details, rendering light and shadow on textured surfaces, and creating depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in painting figures in a naturalistic setting.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main architectural elements and figure placement.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of burnt umber.
- step 03
Block in the major color areas, focusing on the warm tones of the buildings and cooler tones of the shadows.
- step 04
Develop the architectural details, paying attention to the textures of the stone and wood.
- step 05
Refine the figures, using small brushstrokes to suggest form and detail.
- step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
- step 07
Glaze thin layers of color to unify the painting and enhance the atmosphere.
- step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.
color palette
primary · burnt umber · yellow ochre · titanium white · raw sienna
secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red · viridian
Achieve the warm, earthy tones by mixing burnt umber with yellow ochre and white. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create cool shadows. Add small amounts of cadmium red to warm up the browns.
techniques
- ·dry brush texture
- ·glazing
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Using colors that are too saturated.
- →Neglecting the importance of atmospheric perspective.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw sienna oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·turpentine
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a canvas with a medium texture to capture the broken color effect. Consider using a toned canvas to speed up the underpainting process.
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