plate no. 4324

A Room (in the Second Post-Impressionist)

Roger Fry, 1912

oilPost-Impressionisminteriorinteriorroomfigurepaintingsfurnituredoorway

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and practice mixing muted color palettes. It also provides practice in capturing the essence of a scene with loose, expressive brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and perspective lines of the room, including the doorway and furniture.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: walls, floor, sofa, and doorway.
step 03
Mix a range of muted greens and browns for the walls and floor, varying the tones slightly to create depth.
step 04
Add the darker values for the sofa and the shadows around the doorway.
step 05
Paint the figure on the sofa, focusing on capturing the pose and general form rather than precise details.
step 06
Add the paintings on the wall, using simplified shapes and colors to suggest their content.
step 07
Refine the details of the doorway and the objects in the background, using lighter values to create atmospheric perspective.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to bring the painting to life.

color palette

primary · olive green · brown · gray

secondary · ochre · blue · red

Mix greens by combining blues and yellows with a touch of brown or black to mute the colors. Achieve the various shades of brown by mixing burnt umber, sienna, and ochre with white or black.

techniques