plate no. 3141

Valle de México desde las lomas de Tacubaya

oilRealismlandscapelandscapemountainsskyvegetationbuildingsfigure

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and layering to create depth in a landscape. It also provides practice in rendering realistic foliage and subtle color variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the horizon line and major landforms.
step 02
Block in the sky with light blues and whites, creating soft cloud formations.
step 03
Establish the distant mountains using muted blues and purples to create atmospheric perspective.
step 04
Paint the mid-ground plains with a mix of browns, greens, and yellows, varying the tones to suggest depth.
step 05
Add the buildings and trees in the mid-ground, paying attention to their relative sizes and positions.
step 06
Block in the foreground vegetation with darker greens and browns, adding highlights to suggest form.
step 07
Paint the path with warm earth tones, creating a sense of depth and perspective.
step 08
Add the figure and animals, paying attention to their proportions and placement within the scene.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · sap green · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Achieve the atmospheric perspective by mixing blues and purples with white. Create earth tones by mixing burnt umber, yellow ochre, and white. Muted greens are achieved by mixing sap green with burnt umber.

techniques