How to Paint Buildings, Cityscapes, and Architecture in Oil
- Ahmed Kheder
- Jun 21, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
Painting buildings and architecture in oil is a rewarding yet challenging endeavor for artists. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced painter, capturing the essence and details of buildings requires attention to perspective, light, and texture. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you master the art of painting buildings in oil.
A Guide to Paint Buildings, Cityscapes, and Architecture in Oil
Materials Needed
Before diving into painting, gather your materials:
Oil paints: High-quality paints in various colors. Start with the three basic hues pigments cadmium yellow, cadmium Red, Prussian Blue and titanium white to adjust the light value.
Brushes: Assorted sizes including small detail brushes and larger flat brushes.
Canvas or painting surface: Choose a canvas suitable for oil painting.
Palette knives: For mixing and applying paint.
Mediums and solvents: Such as linseed oil, turpentine, or odorless mineral spirits.
Palette: Preferably non-absorbent like glass or acrylic.
Easel: To hold your canvas at a comfortable angle.
Reference material: Photographs or sketches of buildings.
Light weight Pencil 5H, 6H
Eraser
Prepare Your Canvas
Prepare your canvas by applying a thin layer of gesso if it's not pre-primed. Gesso is a mixture of a binder (white Glue which is polyvinyl acetate), a filler which is chalk, and whitening pigment mainly Zinc Oxide powder is used.
Once the gesso is dry, sand well and repeat the process of applying gesso and sanding till the canvas is ready.
Don't apply a thick layer of Gesso because you will make your canvas more liable to cracking.
Plan The Composition
Choose a building or architectural scene that inspires you. Consider iconic structures, historical buildings, or urban landscapes.
Using a photograph as a reference will enhance the creation of a realistic cityscape scene as the photograph stabilizes the light intensity and angel. Notice, painting a cityscape under the daylight is tricky as the natural sunlight changes in terms of light angle, intensity, and shadows.
Drawing
Sketching: Outline the basic shapes and proportions on your canvas using a pencil or thinned paint. Use light weight 5H or 6H pencil as it will disappear under the semi-transparent oil paint pigments.
Focus on Perspective
Linear Perspective: Pay attention to vanishing points and horizontal lines to create depth and realism.
Atmospheric Perspective: Use lighter values and less detailed brushwork for distant buildings to suggest depth.
Underpainting
Underpainting
tone the canvas with a light wash of burnt sienna or another neutral color. This will help to eliminate the stark white of the canvas and make it easier to judge values as you paint.
Begin by applying a thin, even tone to your canvas. This helps to establish a mid-tone base, making it easier to judge values later on. A mixture of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue, thinned with medium, works well for this purpose.
The medium used as an underpainting should be lean i.e. have a low percentage of binder oil. Also, it should dry fast, so, use high percent of diluent which help dryness of the binder oil by enhancing its oxidation. Another thing to mention, it should be thin in terms of the amount of pigment dispersed in the oil medium.
The medium used to thin the paint should be Turpentine 75%, Linseed oil 25%. Don't use clove oil as a diluent because it is a reducing oil and will delay dryness. Also. The binder oil should be Linseed oil because it dries faster than Walnut oil, Poppy oil, and Safflower oil.
For more information about Underpainting Role in oil painting, Check this article:
Painting
Color Palette: Decide on a limited palette or colors that match your reference. Include primary colors and earth tones
Capturing Light and Shadow:
Light Source: Determine the direction of light and how it affects the building’s surfaces.
Values: Use a range of values from dark shadows to bright highlights to give dimensionality to your painting.
Layering, Detailing and Texture
Textures: Differentiate between different building materials such as brick, stone, or glass. Use varying brushstrokes and palette knife techniques.
Details: Add architectural details like windows, doors, and decorative elements carefully.
Color Harmony and Temperature:
Warm vs. Cool: Balance warm and cool colors to create visual interest and harmony.
Local Color: Capture the true colors of the building while considering how light affects these colors.
Refinement: Step back frequently to assess your painting from a distance. Make necessary adjustments to balance composition and refine details.
Edges: Soften or sharpen edges where necessary to guide the viewer’s eye.
Drying and Varnishing
Once your painting is completely dry (which can take several months for oil paints), apply a final varnish to protect it and enhance the colors. Use a varnish specifically designed for oil paintings, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application.
Tips for Success
Study Perspective: Practice drawing and understanding perspective to accurately depict buildings.
Observe Light: Spend time observing how light interacts with buildings at different times of day.
Experiment: Don’t be afraid to experiment with techniques like impasto (thick application of paint) or glazing (thin layers of transparent paint).
Conclusion
Painting buildings and architecture in oil requires patience, observation, and technical skill. By mastering perspective, understanding light and shadow, and paying attention to details and textures, you can create compelling and realistic paintings that capture the beauty and essence of architectural structures. Remember, practice and perseverance are key to developing your own unique style and achieving satisfying results in your oil paintings of buildings.
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