plate no. 6995

St. Mark's Square in Venice

oilImpressionismcityscapebuildingcityscapefiguresskyplazaarchitecture

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting atmospheric perspective and capturing the essence of a scene with loose, expressive brushstrokes. It's also a good exercise in simplifying complex architectural details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the buildings and the plaza, focusing on proportions and perspective.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the vanishing point(s).
step 03
Block in the main color areas: sky, buildings, and ground, using thin washes.
step 04
Start building up layers of paint, focusing on the light and shadow patterns.
step 05
Add details to the architecture, simplifying the forms and using broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Paint the figures and pigeons with quick, gestural strokes.
step 07
Refine the colors and values, paying attention to the atmospheric perspective.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to create a sense of depth and realism.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · ivory black

Mix various shades of gray and brown by combining raw umber, white, and small amounts of blue or red. Achieve the warm tones of the buildings by mixing yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and white. Use ultramarine blue and white for the sky, adding a touch of red for a muted effect.

techniques

·broken color
·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling
·alla prima
·gestural brushwork

common pitfalls

→Getting bogged down in excessive detail.
→Failing to establish a strong sense of perspective.
→Overworking the paint and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Not paying attention to the subtle color variations in the sky and ground.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (raw umber, titanium white, cadmium red light, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, ivory black)
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·linseed oil
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat, sizes 2-8)
·palette knife
·rags