plate no. 7914

A Street in Vichy

Konstantín Korovin, 1911

oil, canvasImpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingtreesfiguresstreetcafe

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing atmospheric perspective and simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values. It also provides practice in loose, expressive brushwork.

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 of the building, trees, and figures, focusing on overall composition.
step 02
Establish the main value areas: dark trees, lighter building, and mid-tone street.
step 03
Block in the sky and background with thin washes of color.
step 04
Begin adding details to the building, using a limited palette of warm and cool grays.
step 05
Develop the trees with broken brushstrokes, layering dark greens and browns.
step 06
Suggest the figures with quick, gestural marks, using touches of red for accents.
step 07
Refine the street with varied earth tones, adding subtle highlights and shadows.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values to create depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · raw umber · yellow ochre · Prussian blue

secondary · cadmium red · titanium white · ivory black

Mix various shades of green by combining Prussian blue with yellow ochre and raw umber. Create warm grays by mixing yellow ochre, raw umber, and a touch of red. Use white to lighten values and create highlights.

techniques

·broken color
·atmospheric perspective
·alla prima
·scumbling
·gestural brushwork

common pitfalls

→Overworking details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Failing to establish a clear value structure.
→Making the figures too defined and realistic.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 12x16
·oil paints (raw umber, yellow ochre, Prussian blue, cadmium red, titanium white, ivory black)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine
·rags