plate no. 3369

Ships Becalmed on a Rocky Coast

oil, canvasBaroquemarinashipssearockscoastcloudssky

some experience helpful

This painting is a good exercise in atmospheric perspective and creating depth through subtle value and color changes. Students will learn to blend colors smoothly to create soft transitions and realistic skies.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the horizon line and placement of major elements (ships, rocks).
step 02
Establish the sky with a thin wash of light gray-blue, blending darker tones towards the top and lighter tones towards the horizon.
step 03
Block in the distant landmasses and rocks with muted greens and browns, paying attention to their relative values.
step 04
Paint the water with horizontal strokes, reflecting the colors of the sky and land.
step 05
Add the ships, starting with the larger ones in the foreground and gradually reducing detail for those in the distance.
step 06
Refine the details of the rocks and coastline, adding highlights and shadows to create form.
step 07
Add final details such as rigging on the ships and small figures in the boats.
step 08
Glaze with thin washes to unify the painting and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · ultramarine blue

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ivory black

Achieve the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of umber, blue, and ochre. Use thin glazes of burnt sienna to add warmth to the rocks.

techniques

·Atmospheric perspective
·Glazing
·Blending
·Scumbling
·Dry brushing

common pitfalls

→Using colors that are too saturated.
→Creating hard edges instead of soft transitions.
→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Not paying attention to the relative values of different elements.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Oil paints (titanium white, raw umber, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ivory black)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Assorted brushes (round and flat)
·Rags