plate no. 2149

At the Pump

Yuriy Khymych, 1950

watercolorRealismcityscapebuildingscityscapefigurestreethousessky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in watercolor washes, capturing light and shadow, and simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes. It's a good exercise in creating depth and atmosphere with limited colors.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes of the buildings, figure, and landscape, paying attention to perspective.
step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted yellow ochre or raw sienna to the entire paper as a base tone.
step 03
Begin adding the sky with a very diluted blue wash, leaving some areas white for clouds.
step 04
Paint the distant hills with a light green-grey wash, varying the tones slightly.
step 05
Start building up the buildings with light washes of blue-grey, paying attention to the shadows.
step 06
Add the red-brown roofs using a mix of burnt sienna and a touch of red, varying the intensity.
step 07
Paint the figure and foreground details with darker values, adding shadows and details.
step 08
Add final details like window panes and small shadows with a fine brush.