plate no. 5495

Visitationist Church in Warsaw

oil, canvasRocococityscapechurchbuildingscityscapefiguresskycarriages

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in perspective drawing, particularly for complex architectural forms, and in creating atmospheric perspective through subtle color variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 20 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and perspective lines of the buildings, focusing on the vanishing points.
step 02
Block in the main color areas: sky, buildings, and foreground.
step 03
Refine the architectural details of the church, paying attention to the columns and ornamentation.
step 04
Add details to the surrounding buildings, using lighter values for those further away.
step 05
Paint the figures and carriages in the foreground, simplifying their forms.
step 06
Create atmospheric perspective by using cooler and lighter colors for distant elements.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Refine details and adjust values to achieve a cohesive composition.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · cadmium red light · cerulean blue · burnt sienna

Achieve the muted tones by mixing earth tones with white and small amounts of blue or red. Use glazes of thinned colors to create subtle variations in tone and depth.

techniques

·linear perspective
·atmospheric perspective
·glazing
·scumbling
·dry brushing

common pitfalls

→Getting the perspective wrong on the buildings.
→Overworking the details and losing the overall atmospheric effect.
→Using colors that are too saturated.
→Ignoring the subtle value shifts that create depth.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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