plate no. 1370

St. Goar um 1835, engraving by J.W. Archer after Leitch

oilRomanticismcityscapebuildingswaterboatsfiguresmountainstown

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses the painting of a Romantic-era cityscape, specifically referencing the style of William Leighton Leitch. While Leitch is historically documented as a master watercolourist and illustrator who served as Drawing Master to Queen Victoria (Source 8), the prompt specifies an oil medium. Therefore, the instructions rely on the general practices of 19th-century oil painting and the specific technical advice found in 'The Practice of Oil Painting' regarding glazing and scumbling (Source 1). The artwork is characterized by the Romantic emphasis on atmospheric effect and the 'vitality' of the medium rather than mere photographic deception (Source 5). The process emphasizes the separation of tonal structure (grisaille) from color application, a method attributed to old masters and advocated by Sir Joshua Reynolds (Source 1).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions (allowing for drying times between glaze layers)

materials

7 items

steps

7 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Linseed oil	Primary drying oil for mixing pigments and creating glazes	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Oil of Copavia (or modern damar resin varnish)	Medium for the first and second paintings as cited by Reynolds; provides transparency and flow	Damar varnish mixed with odorless mineral spirits or linseed oil
Lead White (or Titanium/Zinc White)	Dominant white pigment for opacity and fast drying in the underpainting	Titanium White (note: Lead White is restricted due to toxicity)
Ultramarine	Key color for the initial tonal underpainting (grisaille) alongside black and white	Ultramarine Blue
Black pigment (e.g., Ivory Black)	Used in the initial monochrome underpainting to establish values	Ivory Black or Mars Black
Red and Yellow earth pigments (e.g., Ochre, Sienna, Vermilion)	Used for glazing and scumbling to introduce local color and warmth	Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red
Canvas or Linen support	Traditional support for oil painting	Primed linen or cotton canvas

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a linen or canvas support. While Leitch’s specific oil ground is not detailed in the sources, the text notes that linen is a traditional support derived from the flax plant (Source 3). Apply a traditional oil ground or acrylic gesso to ensure proper adhesion. The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the fine detail expected in a cityscape but textured enough to hold the glazes.

underdrawing

Given Leitch’s background as a draughtsman and illustrator (Source 8), a precise underdrawing is likely essential. Use charcoal or thinned oil paint to establish the architectural lines of the cityscape. The sources emphasize that the artist must select qualities of nature suitable for the medium (Source 5), so the drawing should focus on structural accuracy and atmospheric perspective rather than minute detail that will be obscured by glazes.

underpainting

Execute a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (or a modern equivalent like damar varnish/oil) (Source 1). This step establishes the tonal values of the cityscape. The artist should mentally extract red and yellow colors, visualizing what remains in nature if those hues were absent (Source 1). This creates a neutral foundation for subsequent color glazes.

color palette

Ultramarine/Black/White

Ultramarine blue, Ivory black, Lead/Titanium white

Initial grisaille underpainting to establish light and shadow values (Source 1)

Red and Yellow tones

Vermilion, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to introduce local color and warmth (Source 1)

Grey Bloom

Scumbled semi-opaque grey over darker grounds

Creating atmospheric effects and coldness in shadows or distant areas (Source 1)

composition

As a Romantic landscape/cityscape, the composition likely emphasizes atmospheric perspective and the 'spiritual element' or emotional response to the scene (Source 6). Leitch’s work often involved topographical views (Source 6), so the layout should reflect a coherent arrangement of buildings and sky. The artist should avoid 'meretricious' attempts to deceive the eye into thinking it is real nature, instead focusing on the 'vital expression' of the medium (Source 5). The sky is almost always included and weather is an important element (Source 6).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→drying→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the cityscape composition on the prepared surface, focusing on architectural structures and sky division.
Tip — Ensure lines are light enough to be covered by the underpainting.
Preparatory Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia (or damar/oil medium). Paint the entire scene in monochrome, establishing all light and dark values.
Tip — Mentally exclude red and yellow hues to focus purely on value structure (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 04
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones using oil medium. Tint the engraving-like underpainting much as one would with watercolors (Source 1).
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying grisaille to show through (Source 1).
Glazing

drying

step 03
Allow the grisaille to dry completely. This may take several days to weeks depending on thickness and environment.
Tip — Do not proceed to glazing until the underpainting is hard to the touch.
Drying

refining

step 05
Use scumbling (semi-opaque paint) over darker grounds to create grey blooms or cold atmospheric effects, particularly in shadows or distant architecture.
Tip — Scumbling tends to coldness when used over darker grounds (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 06
Refine color harmonies by considering simultaneous contrast. Ensure that adjacent colors do not distort each other’s perceived hue unintentionally.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may see a tint resulting from the peculiar color and the complementary of the adjacent object (Source 2).
Simultaneous Contrast

varnishing

step 07
Once fully dry, apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the surface gloss.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry to prevent yellowing or cracking.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing involves applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting. Scumbling involves applying semi-opaque paint to allow the underlying layer to show through, often creating a 'grey bloom' or cold effect. This method was practiced by old masters and is recommended for achieving depth and luminosity (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast

The painter must account for how adjacent colors affect each other’s perception. When two colored objects are viewed together, neither appears as its true color but rather as a tint influenced by the complementary of the other. This is crucial for harmonizing the cityscape’s colors (Source 2).

Medium Manipulation

Using oil of copavia (or modern equivalents) to adjust the drying time and transparency of the paint. This allows for the fluid application required for glazing (Source 1, Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to muddying and cracking (Source 1).
→Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to color harmonies that appear discordant or inaccurate due to the eye’s susceptibility to fatigue and complementary afterimages (Source 2).
→Attempting to create a 'meretricious' illusion of reality rather than expressing the vitality of the medium, which results in a lack of artistic expression (Source 5).
→Using linseed oil for white pigments if a non-yellowing white is desired, as linseed oil yellows on drying (Source 3).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of the 'St. Goar' cityscape (e.g., exact building layouts, specific weather conditions) are not described in the sources, so the artist must rely on reference images or imagination consistent with Leitch’s topographical style.
·Leitch’s specific oil painting technique is not detailed in the sources, as he is primarily known for watercolors (Source 8). The instructions rely on general 19th-century oil practices.
·The exact year of the artwork is not available, so period-specific pigment availability is inferred from general 19th-century practices.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting (grisaille), glazing, scumbling, and medium usage
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- Simultaneous Contrast — applied to Color harmony and refining steps
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- MATERIALS — applied to Philosophy of medium vitality and avoiding mere deception

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Materials — applied to Materials list and pigment properties
Wikipedia bio — William Leighton Leitch↗
- Life — applied to Artist background and general style context
Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — applied to Genre context and compositional elements like sky and weather