plate no. 8725
Fourteenth Street
Alexander Calder, 1925
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting light and shadow in a cityscape, as well as simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and colors. It also provides practice in capturing the essence of a scene with expressive brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, street, and major elements like the signs.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color, focusing on the overall value structure (lights and darks).
- step 03
Establish the dark background sky and the darker areas of the street.
- step 04
Add the lighter areas, such as the illuminated signs and building facades.
- step 05
Define the shapes of the figures and vehicles with simple brushstrokes.
- step 06
Refine the details of the signs and building architecture.
- step 07
Add highlights to create a sense of depth and dimension.
- step 08
Review and adjust the overall composition and color balance.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · cadmium red · ivory black
Mix dark blues and browns for the night sky. Use yellow ochre and white for the illuminated areas. Add small amounts of red to warm up the browns and yellows.
techniques
- ·Impasto
- ·Broken color
- ·Scumbling
- ·Wet-on-dry
- ·Simplifying forms
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the expressive brushstrokes.
- →Making the dark areas too flat and lacking depth.
- →Failing to capture the contrast between light and shadow.
- →Getting lost in the details of the buildings and signs before establishing the overall composition.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas (12x16 or similar)
- ·Oil paints (ultramarine blue, burnt umber, yellow ochre, titanium white, cadmium red, ivory black)
- ·Palette
- ·Assorted brushes (flat and round)
- ·Palette knife
- ·Odorless mineral spirits
- ·Linseed oil
- ·Rags
optional
- ·Medium (e.g., Liquin)
- ·Easel
- ·Reference photo print
Use a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process. Consider using a toned canvas to establish a base color.
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