plate no. 5061

Rua Ruini

Xul Solar, 1949

oilSurrealismcityscapebuildingsfiguresskysymbolscityscaperuins

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in creating surreal compositions and using a limited color palette to convey a specific mood. Students will also practice rendering distorted perspectives and symbolic imagery.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and perspective of the buildings, focusing on their distorted forms.
step 02
Lightly sketch the figures and other symbolic elements in the foreground.
step 03
Block in the sky with a gradient of dark blues and hints of red near the horizon.
step 04
Apply the base color to the buildings, using a mix of browns and oranges.
step 05
Add shadows and highlights to the buildings to create depth and dimension.
step 06
Paint the figures and other foreground elements, paying attention to their details and symbolic meaning.
step 07
Add the small details like the symbols on the buildings and the stars in the sky.
step 08
Refine the overall composition and add any final touches.

color palette

primary · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · cadmium red · yellow ochre

Achieve the building colors by mixing burnt sienna with yellow ochre and a touch of white. The sky is a mix of ultramarine blue and white, with cadmium red added near the horizon.

techniques

·glazing
·scumbling
·linear perspective
·color blending
·symbolic representation

common pitfalls

→Getting the perspective of the buildings wrong, leading to a flat or unrealistic appearance.
→Overworking the colors and losing the subtle variations in tone.
→Failing to capture the symbolic meaning of the figures and other elements.
→Not creating enough contrast between the buildings and the sky.