plate no. 0925

Village in Atlas Mountains, Morocco

oil, canvasOrientalismlandscapemountainsvillagebuildingstreeslandscapesky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and atmosphere, as well as practicing loose brushwork to suggest texture and form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the mountains, village, and foreground rocks.
step 02
Establish the sky with a thin wash of blue and white.
step 03
Block in the main color areas of the mountains using light yellows and browns.
step 04
Add darker tones to the mountains to create shadows and define the terrain.
step 05
Paint the village buildings with reds and browns, adding details to suggest their structure.
step 06
Develop the foreground rocks with a mix of reds, browns, and grays, using broken brushstrokes to create texture.
step 07
Add trees and foliage using dark greens and browns, varying the brushstrokes to suggest different types of vegetation.
step 08
Refine details and adjust values to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw umber · sap green

Mix yellow ochre and burnt sienna with white for the mountains. Use ultramarine blue and white for the sky. Mix raw umber and sap green for foliage.

techniques

·dry brushing
·layering
·scumbling
·broken color
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details, resulting in a stiff and unnatural look.
→Failing to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
→Using colors that are too saturated, making the painting look garish.
→Ignoring the importance of value contrast in creating form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 12x16
·oil paints (yellow ochre, burnt sienna, titanium white, ultramarine blue, raw umber, sap green)
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·linseed oil
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette knife
·rags