plate no. 3479

Brahmshaus in Rüschlikon

Helen Dahm, 1928

oilExpressionismcityscapebuildinghousenightskystarslandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in depicting a night scene with subtle variations in value.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the house, hill, and cloud formations.
step 02
Block in the dark background of the night sky with a mix of blues and browns.
step 03
Add the cloud shapes using lighter blues and whites, blending edges softly.
step 04
Paint the house with a base layer of muted greens and whites.
step 05
Add details to the house, such as windows and doors, using darker browns and blacks.
step 06
Paint the hill with dark browns and greens, using short, choppy brushstrokes.
step 07
Add the path leading to the house with lighter browns.
step 08
Add small dots of yellow and white for the stars.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Achieve the muted greens for the house by mixing yellow ochre with a touch of ultramarine blue and white. Create the dark sky by blending ultramarine blue, burnt umber, and a small amount of alizarin crimson.

techniques

·dry brush
·layering
·scumbling
·broken color
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the clouds, resulting in a flat, unrealistic appearance.
→Making the house too bright, losing the sense of a night scene.
→Using too much detail in the foreground, distracting from the overall composition.
→Failing to create depth in the sky with subtle value changes.