plate no. 3003

Rome. Trajan's Forum

Tetyana Yablonska, 1977

oil, canvasImpressionismcityscapecolumnsbuildingscityscapearchitectureskyfigures

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle variations in light and shadow, as well as practice creating texture through visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in creating depth using atmospheric perspective and overlapping forms.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the buildings, columns, and horizon line.
step 02
Establish the basic color blocks for the sky, buildings, and columns using thin washes.
step 03
Begin layering in the mid-tones and shadows on the buildings, paying attention to the light source.
step 04
Add details to the columns, indicating their cylindrical form with subtle value changes.
step 05
Develop the foreground with broken brushstrokes to suggest the rubble and ground texture.
step 06
Refine the details of the windows and architectural elements.
step 07
Add the figures in the background with minimal detail.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to enhance the overall impression.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red · viridian green · raw umber

Mix various shades of orange and brown by combining yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and cadmium red. Use ultramarine blue and white to create the sky, adding touches of yellow ochre for warmth. Achieve the column colors by mixing white with small amounts of blue, brown, and orange.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·atmospheric perspective
·color layering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the impressionistic feel.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Ignoring the subtle value changes on the columns.
→Failing to establish a clear light source.
→Making the foreground too detailed and distracting.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium red, raw umber)
·round brushes (#2, #4, #6)
·flat brushes (#4, #8)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine