plate no. 3724

Urban landscape

oilSurrealismcityscapebuildingscityscapeabstract faceswindowsarchitecturesky

suitable for beginners

This painting is great for practicing color mixing with a limited palette and understanding how to create depth through subtle value changes. Students will also learn about simplifying complex forms into geometric shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic block shapes of the buildings and faces, focusing on proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light blue and green, blending the colors softly.
step 03
Mix a range of browns and tans using burnt umber, raw sienna, and white.
step 04
Begin filling in the larger blocks of color for the buildings, varying the tones slightly to create depth.
step 05
Add the details of the windows and facial features using darker browns and whites.
step 06
Refine the edges of the shapes and blend the colors where needed.
step 07
Add subtle highlights to the faces and buildings to create form.
step 08
Let dry and add a thin glaze of burnt umber to unify the colors if desired.

color palette

primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · titanium white

secondary · light blue · sap green

Achieve the various browns and tans by mixing burnt umber and raw sienna with varying amounts of white. Use a touch of blue or green to cool down the browns.

techniques