plate no. 2040

View of an Old Town

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapetownbuildingswaterboatsskyclouds

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing reflections in water and using broken color to create atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in simplifying complex architectural forms.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 7 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, boats, and water, paying attention to perspective.
step 02
Block in the main color areas for the sky, water, and buildings with thin washes.
step 03
Start building up the texture of the clouds with short, broken brushstrokes.
step 04
Add details to the buildings, focusing on capturing the light and shadow.
step 05
Paint the reflections in the water, using similar colors to the objects above but with softer edges.
step 06
Add the boats and figures, paying attention to their scale and placement.
step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red · viridian green · raw sienna

Mix various shades of gray and brown by combining burnt umber, ultramarine blue, and white. Use yellow ochre and cadmium red to create the warm tones of the roofs and buildings. Mix viridian green with yellow ochre and white for the greens.

techniques

·broken color
·wet-on-dry
·scumbling
·alla prima
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Creating reflections that are too literal and symmetrical.
→Failing to establish a clear focal point.
→Not paying enough attention to the values and creating a flat, uninteresting painting.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, titanium white, burnt umber, yellow ochre, cadmium red, viridian green, raw sienna)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·palette knife