plate no. 4133

Pentedattio, Calabria (October 1930)

M.C. Escher, 1930

lithographySurrealismlandscapevillagemountainsbuildingslandscaperockstrees

some experience helpful

Recreating this lithograph will help students develop skills in hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling to create tonal values and textures. Students will also learn about composition and perspective in depicting a complex architectural landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the overall composition, focusing on the placement of the mountain, village, and surrounding landscape.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the image, such as the shadows within the rocks and the dense foliage at the base of the mountain.
step 03
Begin adding layers of hatching and cross-hatching to build up the tonal values in the rocks, buildings, and foliage.
step 04
Use stippling to create texture and subtle variations in tone, particularly in the sky and lighter areas of the rocks.
step 05
Pay close attention to the direction and density of the hatching lines to create a sense of form and depth.
step 06
Refine the details of the buildings, adding windows, doors, and other architectural elements.
step 07
Adjust the overall contrast of the image by adding more darks and lights as needed.
step 08
Add final details and clean up any stray lines.

color palette

primary · black · white

secondary · gray

Varying the density of black ink creates different shades of gray.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·stippling
·value gradation
·perspective

common pitfalls

→Rushing the initial sketch and not establishing a strong foundation.
→Creating overly uniform hatching patterns, which can flatten the image.
→Failing to vary the density of the hatching and stippling, resulting in a lack of tonal variation.
→Ignoring the direction of light and shadow, which can make the forms appear flat and unrealistic.