Roman Forum by Romualdo Locatelli

plate no. 4872

Roman Forum

Romualdo Locatelli, 1937

oil, canvasExpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingsskycloudsarchitecturetrees

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the essence of a scene with loose, expressive brushstrokes. It also provides practice in mixing subtle variations of earth tones.

technical profile

palette complexity

3

brushwork visibility

4

value contrast

3

compositional simplicity

3

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and perspective lines of the cityscape.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of diluted paint, focusing on the cloud shapes.
step 03
Establish the horizon line and the general layout of the buildings and road.
step 04
Begin adding darker values to define shadows and create depth in the buildings.
step 05
Use short, broken brushstrokes to suggest details in the architecture.
step 06
Add the trees and vegetation with quick, gestural marks.
step 07
Refine the highlights and shadows to create a sense of light and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt sienna · payne's gray

Achieve the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of umber, ochre, and sienna. Use Payne's gray sparingly to darken shadows.

techniques

·dry brush
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·broken color
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
→Creating too much contrast and making the painting look harsh.
→Failing to establish a clear sense of perspective.
→Using colors that are too saturated.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·raw umber oil paint
·titanium white oil paint
·yellow ochre oil paint
·burnt sienna oil paint
·payne's gray oil paint
·linseed oil
·assorted brushes (round and flat)

optional

·palette knife
·painting medium
·easel

Use a medium-textured canvas to enhance the brushwork. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.

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