plate no. 5046

Procession at the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome

oilRomanticismcityscapecityscapeprocessionarchitecturefiguresstairssky

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting atmospheric perspective and rendering complex scenes with many figures. It also provides practice in capturing the texture and form of architectural elements.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch to establish the basic composition and perspective of the buildings and stairs.
step 02
Block in the large shapes of the buildings and sky with thin washes of color, focusing on the overall value structure.
step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow on the buildings and stairs.
step 04
Start adding details to the architecture, paying attention to the texture and form of the stone.
step 05
Begin to add the figures, starting with the larger groups and working towards the smaller details.
step 06
Use small brushstrokes and varying values to create the impression of a crowd.
step 07
Refine the details of the figures and architecture, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
step 08
Add final touches, such as the red flag and any other small details that will help to bring the painting to life.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Achieve the warm tones of the buildings by mixing burnt sienna and raw umber with white. Use ultramarine blue and white to create the cool tones of the sky. Mix small amounts of alizarin crimson to create the red flag.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·broken color
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·rendering crowds

common pitfalls

→Getting lost in the details too early.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Making the figures too uniform and lacking in individuality.
→Not creating enough atmospheric perspective, causing the background to appear flat.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·rags

optional

·medium gloss
·easel
·mahl stick

Use a canvas with a medium texture to help create the broken color effect. Consider using a toned canvas to help establish the overall value structure.

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