plate no. 5015

The Fire at San Marcuola

oil, canvasBaroquegenre paintingbuildingsfirepeoplesmokecityscapesky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and depicting the effects of light and shadow in a dramatic scene. It also provides practice in rendering figures in a crowd and suggesting detail with loose brushwork.

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 horizon line.
step 02
Block in the dark areas of the sky and the shadows on the buildings with a thin wash of burnt umber.
step 03
Establish the mid-tones on the buildings using a mix of raw sienna and white.
step 04
Add highlights to the buildings and the smoke using lighter tones of yellow ochre and white.
step 05
Paint the figures in the foreground with quick, gestural brushstrokes, using a mix of browns, reds, and whites.
step 06
Create the effect of fire and smoke by layering thin washes of yellow, orange, and red.
step 07
Refine the details of the buildings and figures, paying attention to the light and shadow.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light

Achieve the smoky atmosphere by mixing burnt umber with white and a touch of yellow ochre. Create the fire glow by layering thin washes of cadmium red light and yellow ochre.

techniques