plate no. 9231
Scene in the near East
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and creating depth through value changes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the buildings and figures.
- step 02
Establish the dark areas of the foreground with a thin wash of dark brown.
- step 03
Block in the sky with light blues and grays, blending softly.
- step 04
Paint the buildings with a mix of white, ochre, and a touch of brown, varying the tones to create form.
- step 05
Add the figures, simplifying their shapes and focusing on their silhouettes.
- step 06
Develop the background hills with muted greens and browns, using lighter values to suggest distance.
- step 07
Refine the details of the buildings and figures, adding subtle highlights and shadows.
- step 08
Add final details such as the washing lines and vegetation.
color palette
primary · raw umber · titanium white · ultramarine blue
secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ivory black
Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors and adding white. Use raw umber and ultramarine blue for the dark foreground shadows.
techniques
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·dry brushing
- ·value studies
- ·blocking in
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early.
- →Creating too much contrast in the background, which will flatten the image.
- →Making the figures too detailed and distracting from the overall scene.
- →Not establishing a strong value structure early on.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·round brushes (various sizes)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a medium-textured canvas to allow for some visible brushstrokes. Consider using a toned canvas to establish a base color.
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