plate no. 8860

Vilnius City Panorama from Subachius street

watercolorRealismcityscapecityscapebuildingsfiguresskytreesarchitecture

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and layering techniques to create depth. It also provides practice in rendering architectural details and figures within a landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the buildings, the large building on the right, the hill, and the figures.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the basic perspective of the cityscape.
step 03
Apply a thin wash of light yellow or ochre across the entire sky area.
step 04
Begin layering in the distant buildings with diluted washes of grey, blue, and brown, focusing on atmospheric perspective (lighter and less detailed in the distance).
step 05
Paint the rooftops and foliage in the middle ground with slightly more saturated colors, using greens, browns, and reds.
step 06
Add details to the large building on the right, paying attention to the light and shadow.
step 07
Paint the hill in the foreground with a mix of greens and browns, adding texture with dry brush techniques.
step 08
Add the figures in the foreground with simple shapes and muted colors.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · Prussian blue

secondary · raw sienna · cadmium red light · sap green

Achieve the muted, atmospheric colors by mixing the primary colors with white and each other. Use more water to create transparent washes for the distant elements.

techniques