Vesuvius from Portici

approach — 8 steps

color palette

primary · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red · cadmium yellow

secondary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre

Achieve the warm, glowing colors by mixing cadmium red and cadmium yellow with white. Use burnt umber and ultramarine blue for the darker, cooler tones. Add small amounts of yellow ochre to create earth tones.

techniques

• ·glazing
• ·scumbling
• ·atmospheric perspective
• ·layering
• ·dry brushing

common pitfalls

• →Overworking the details in the foreground, which can flatten the sense of depth.
• →Failing to create enough contrast between the light and dark areas, resulting in a muddy painting.
• →Using too much paint in the initial layers, which can make it difficult to blend and glaze.
• →Not paying attention to the subtle color variations in the clouds, leading to a flat and unrealistic sky.