plate no. 8880

Bouquinistes de Notre Dame

oilImpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingsfiguresstreettreeswater

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing atmospheric perspective and rendering reflections on wet surfaces. It also provides practice in suggesting detail with loose brushwork.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: buildings, Notre Dame, figures, and the street layout.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of neutral tones.
step 03
Block in the larger areas of color, focusing on the buildings and sky.
step 04
Add the darker values to define the buildings and figures.
step 05
Introduce the warm light sources from the windows and street lamps.
step 06
Begin adding details to the figures and market stalls.
step 07
Create the reflections on the wet street using horizontal strokes and highlights.
step 08
Refine details and add final highlights to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · gray · yellow ochre · burnt umber

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · viridian

Mix various grays by combining the primary colors with white. Use yellow ochre and burnt umber to create warm browns for the buildings and figures. Add small amounts of alizarin crimson to darken the browns and grays.

techniques