plate no. 0880

Taormina

Dorrit Black, 1928

oilExpressionismcityscapebuildingscastlehillsideskyarchitecturevillage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and simplified architectural rendering. It also provides practice in capturing light and shadow on complex forms.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes of the buildings and the hillside, focusing on proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light blue, allowing some areas to remain unpainted for cloud effects.
step 03
Apply a base layer of warm yellow to the buildings, varying the tone slightly to suggest light and shadow.
step 04
Add darker tones to the shadowed areas of the buildings using a mix of burnt umber and a touch of red.
step 05
Paint the red tile roofs using a mix of red and burnt sienna, varying the intensity to create depth.
step 06
Define the details of the windows and doors with dark brown or black, keeping them simple and stylized.
step 07
Add texture to the hillside with short, broken brushstrokes of green, brown, and yellow.
step 08
Refine the details and adjust the values to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue

secondary · raw umber · cadmium red light · titanium white

Mix yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the warm tones of the buildings. Use ultramarine blue and white for the sky. Add small amounts of red to the building shadows for warmth.

techniques

·dry brushing
·layering
·atmospheric perspective
·simplified rendering
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
→Making the colors too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of the original.
→Neglecting the importance of value contrast in creating depth.
→Not simplifying the architectural forms enough.