plate no. 2918

City Port

oilExpressionismcityscapebuildingswaterboatsskycityscapefigures

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in impasto techniques and capturing light and shadow with bold brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and colors.

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 buildings, boats, and figures with light pencil lines.
step 02
Block in the main color areas for the sky, water, buildings, and foreground using thin washes.
step 03
Build up texture and volume with thicker paint and visible brushstrokes, focusing on the direction of light.
step 04
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 05
Define the edges of the buildings and boats with darker colors.
step 06
Refine the details of the figures and other elements in the foreground.
step 07
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed.
step 08
Let dry and varnish.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red · viridian green

Mix white with small amounts of blue and yellow ochre for the sky. Use burnt sienna and ultramarine blue to create various shades of brown and gray for the buildings and boats. Add red and green for accents.

techniques