plate no. 5137

The Tower

Charles Demuth, 1920

oilPrecisionismcityscapetowerbuildingsskyrooftopsarchitecturecityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in geometric abstraction and precise color mixing to create subtle tonal variations. It also encourages careful observation of architectural forms and perspective.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic geometric shapes of the buildings and tower, paying attention to perspective.
step 02
Divide the sky into the geometric shapes as seen in the painting.
step 03
Mix the various shades of blue for the sky, testing on a separate paper first.
step 04
Apply the sky colors, working from light to dark, and maintaining clean edges.
step 05
Mix the colors for the buildings, focusing on subtle variations in tone and shadow.
step 06
Carefully paint the architectural details of the tower and other buildings.
step 07
Add the details of the rooftops and any other elements.
step 08
Review and refine the painting, adjusting colors and values as needed.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium red

secondary · payne's gray · yellow ochre

Mix blues with white for the sky, adding small amounts of umber or gray to create subtle variations. Use umber and white for the buildings, and red with umber for the rooftops.

techniques