plate no. 8808

Flower vendor before the Madeline church in Paris

Victor Gabriel Gilbert, 1900

oil, panelRealismgenre paintingstreet sceneflowersfiguresarchitecturetreescityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting figures in a landscape and capturing atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in rendering various textures, such as foliage, stone, and fabric.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main compositional elements: the building, figures, flower cart, and street layout.
step 02
Establish the basic color blocks for the sky, building, and ground, focusing on the overall values.
step 03
Add the larger masses of foliage, using a variety of greens and yellows to suggest depth.
step 04
Begin defining the figures, paying attention to their proportions and placement within the scene.
step 05
Paint the flower cart and the flowers, using brighter colors and varied brushstrokes to create visual interest.
step 06
Refine the details of the architecture, including the columns and other structural elements.
step 07
Add smaller figures and details to the background to create a sense of depth and activity.
step 08
Adjust the overall values and colors to create a harmonious and atmospheric effect.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red · sap green · alizarin crimson · lemon yellow

Achieve the atmospheric haze by mixing blues and whites with small amounts of yellow ochre and burnt umber. The flower colors are achieved by mixing reds, pinks, yellows, and whites with small amounts of blue and green to create variations.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·alla prima
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details too early in the process.
→Failing to establish a clear value structure.
→Using colors that are too saturated, resulting in a flat and unrealistic appearance.
→Ignoring the importance of atmospheric perspective.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·oil paints (yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, sap green)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife
·rags