plate no. 0680
Waterfall at Jajce
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, as well as understanding atmospheric perspective to depict distance. It will also help with understanding how to represent the movement of water.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
2
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the waterfall, town, and horizon line.
- step 02
Block in the main areas of color: sky, hills, buildings, water, and rocks.
- step 03
Start layering darker tones to create shadows and depth in the hills and buildings.
- step 04
Begin defining the shapes of the waterfall with white and light gray tones, suggesting movement.
- step 05
Add details to the town, such as windows and roofs, using small brushstrokes.
- step 06
Refine the water's surface with horizontal strokes and reflections.
- step 07
Add highlights to the waterfall and rocks to create contrast.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the overall composition and color balance.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · sap green · cadmium red
Mix white with blue and a touch of umber for the sky. Use umber and green for the hills, varying the proportions for different shades. Mix white with small amounts of blue and green for the water.
techniques
- ·dry brushing
- ·layering
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·broken color
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details in the town, losing the overall impression.
- →Making the waterfall too uniform, failing to capture the movement of water.
- →Not creating enough contrast between light and shadow.
- →Failing to establish depth with atmospheric perspective.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes (small, medium, large)
- ·flat brushes (small, medium)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
- ·mineral spirits or turpentine (for cleaning brushes)
optional
- ·easel
- ·painting medium
- ·varnish
Use a medium-textured canvas to help create the broken color effect. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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