plate no. 3497
The Sea at Tuzla
Lucian Grigorescu, 1940
suitable for beginners
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, and in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes. It's a good exercise in capturing the overall impression of a scene rather than focusing on minute details.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, horizon line, and major landscape elements.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue-gray wash, allowing for variations in tone to suggest clouds.
- step 03
Establish the sea with a mix of blues and greens, keeping the value slightly darker than the sky.
- step 04
Lay in the base colors for the landscape, using a mix of greens, yellows, and browns.
- step 05
Begin adding details to the buildings, focusing on the light and shadow patterns.
- step 06
Use short, broken brushstrokes to create texture in the landscape and suggest grass and foliage.
- step 07
Add highlights and shadows to the buildings and landscape to create depth and dimension.
- step 08
Refine the details and adjust the colors as needed to achieve the desired effect.
color palette
primary · cerulean blue · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white
secondary · cadmium yellow · burnt sienna · viridian green
Mix the sky colors by blending white with a touch of cerulean blue and raw umber. Achieve the greens by mixing yellow ochre and viridian green, and adjust the tones with raw umber and white.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·dry brushing
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
- →Using colors that are too saturated and not blending them sufficiently.
- →Failing to establish a clear value structure.
- →Making the brushstrokes too uniform and losing the sense of texture.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
- ·mineral spirits or turpentine (for cleaning brushes)
optional
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
- ·painting rags
A slightly textured canvas will help to create a more impressionistic effect. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.
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