plate no. 1368
Ruins of the Castle in Rosemont
Johan Jongkind, 1861
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the texture of old stone with loose brushwork. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes and focusing on overall tonal relationships.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the castle ruins, figures, and horizon line.
- step 02
Establish the sky with a thin wash of light gray-blue, blending subtly.
- step 03
Block in the large shapes of the landscape with muted greens and browns, paying attention to value differences.
- step 04
Add the darker tones of the castle ruins and foliage, using thicker paint and visible brushstrokes.
- step 05
Introduce highlights to the ruins and landscape to create depth and dimension.
- step 06
Paint the figures and cows with simple shapes and minimal detail.
- step 07
Refine the details of the ruins, adding texture and suggesting individual stones.
- step 08
Add final touches and highlights to the foliage and foreground.
color palette
primary · titanium white · raw umber · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ivory black
Achieve the muted tones by mixing the primary colors with raw umber and white. Use small amounts of blue to cool down the browns and greens.
techniques
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·tonal painting
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
- →Creating too much contrast and making the painting look harsh.
- →Failing to establish a clear sense of depth and distance.
- →Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 6, 8)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium (e.g., Liquin)
- ·easel
A toned canvas (e.g., with a thin wash of raw umber) can be helpful for establishing the overall tonal range.
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