plate no. 0872

Piazza delle Erbe (Market's square) in Verona

Angelo Dall'Oca Bianca, 1903

oilDivisionismcityscapecityscapefiguresbuildingsmarketskyarchitecture

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting atmospheric perspective and capturing the impression of a bustling urban scene with loose brushwork. It also provides practice in rendering figures in motion and suggesting detail with minimal strokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the buildings, figures, and central monument.
step 02
Establish the sky and background with light, blended washes of color.
step 03
Block in the larger shapes of the buildings using a limited palette of browns, yellows, and whites.
step 04
Add the figures, starting with the largest and most prominent ones, using quick, gestural strokes.
step 05
Define the ground plane with varied browns and grays, suggesting the texture of the pavement.
step 06
Introduce details to the buildings and figures, focusing on capturing the essence rather than precise rendering.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting colors and values as needed.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue

secondary · cadmium red · viridian green · raw sienna

Achieve the atmospheric haze by mixing white with small amounts of blue and ochre. Create the warm tones of the buildings by blending yellow ochre, burnt umber, and a touch of red.

techniques