plate no. 0998

The Palatine

Giovanni (Nino) Costa, 1895

oil, canvasNaturalismcityscaperuinstreeslandscapearchitecturevegetationsky

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the ruins, the tree, and the horizon line.
step 02
Establish the basic color blocks for the sky, ruins, and foreground.
step 03
Begin adding details to the ruins, focusing on the light and shadow.
step 04
Paint the tree, paying attention to its form and the negative space around the branches.
step 05
Develop the foreground vegetation with layers of broken color.
step 06
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Refine the details and adjust the overall color balance.
step 08
Add final touches to the foliage and small details.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white

secondary · sap green · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue

Mix various shades of brown and green by combining yellow ochre, raw umber, burnt sienna, and ultramarine blue. Use white to lighten the colors for highlights and atmospheric perspective.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·dry brushing
·layering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
→Ignoring the atmospheric perspective and failing to create depth.
→Not varying the brushstrokes enough to create texture.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 12x24
·oil paints (yellow ochre, raw umber, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, titanium white, sap green)
·round brushes (#2, #4, #6)
·flat brushes (#4, #8)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·palette knife