plate no. 6605

Dawn in St. Petersburg

oil, canvasRealismcityscapecityscapebuildingsfiguresstreetskydawn

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the effects of light on wet surfaces. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into essential shapes and values.

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: buildings, horizon line, and the basic placement of figures.
step 02
Establish the sky gradient with broad strokes, blending from yellow at the horizon to blue at the top.
step 03
Block in the dark values of the buildings and figures, using a mix of blues and browns.
step 04
Indicate the reflections on the wet street with horizontal strokes of lighter values.
step 05
Add details to the buildings and figures, focusing on capturing their silhouettes.
step 06
Define the street lamps with small strokes of yellow and orange.
step 07
Refine the atmospheric perspective by softening the edges of distant objects.
step 08
Add final highlights to the figures and buildings to create a sense of depth.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium orange · alizarin crimson

Mix yellow ochre and white for the sky, adding small amounts of blue for the upper regions. Use burnt umber and ultramarine blue for the dark buildings, adjusting the ratio for different shades. Add orange and crimson to the yellow for the sunset glow.

techniques