plate no. 5847

Path chapel with a view of St. Peter in Rome in the evening light

watercolor, cardboardRealismlandscapebuildinglandscapeskypathdomefoliage

suitable for beginners

This painting is a good exercise in atmospheric perspective and creating depth through color and value changes. Recreating this will help students practice layering washes and creating subtle color variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: sky, horizon line, chapel, and foreground.
step 02
Apply a light wash of blue for the sky, fading towards the horizon.
step 03
Paint the distant buildings with a diluted blue-gray, focusing on their silhouette.
step 04
Add a base layer of yellow ochre and raw umber to the landscape, varying the tones.
step 05
Build up the chapel with layers of burnt sienna, raw umber, and touches of gray, defining the structure.
step 06
Add details to the chapel, such as the lantern and the vegetation on the roof.
step 07
Paint the foreground with a mix of greens and browns, adding texture with dry brush strokes.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust the values to create depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

secondary · raw umber · payne's gray · sap green

Mix blues with white to create the sky and distant buildings. Use yellow ochre and raw umber for the landscape, adding touches of green for variation. Mix burnt sienna and raw umber for the chapel, using gray to create shadows.

techniques