plate no. 6728

Nikopol

oilNaturalismlandscapetownhillskycloudsbuildingssea

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 details and natural forms with watercolor.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, hill, and clouds.
step 02
Apply a light wash of blue for the sky, leaving areas for the clouds.
step 03
Paint the clouds with diluted white and gray, paying attention to soft edges.
step 04
Establish the base colors of the hill and buildings with thin washes of brown, green, and red.
step 05
Add details to the buildings, using darker values to define shapes and shadows.
step 06
Layer colors on the hill to create texture and depth, suggesting vegetation and rocks.
step 07
Paint the foreground with earth tones, adding details like the path and vegetation.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust values to create a sense of atmosphere and depth.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · raw umber · burnt sienna

secondary · cadmium red light · yellow ochre · sap green

Mix blues and grays for the sky and clouds. Use raw umber and burnt sienna for earth tones. Mix greens from blue and yellow. Dilute colors for washes and build up layers.

techniques