View of a Church

Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the church, stone wall, and trees, paying attention to proportions and perspective.

Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of diluted neutral gray across the entire paper.

Begin layering darker values on the church and stone wall, building up the texture of the stones with short, broken brushstrokes.

Paint the sky with a soft, blended wash of pale blue and gray, leaving some areas lighter to suggest clouds.

Add the dark masses of the trees, using a variety of greens and browns and varying the brushstrokes to create texture.

Define the steps and foreground with darker values and more detail, suggesting the texture of the stone and earth.

Add final details such as the windows, roof tiles, and foliage, using a fine brush to create crisp edges and subtle variations.

Evaluate the painting and make any necessary adjustments to the values, colors, and details to achieve a sense of depth and atmosphere.