plate no. 7391

Houses in Buitrago

Carlos Saenz de Tejada, 1920

oilCloisonnismgenre paintingbuildingsfiguresboatsstreetharborsails

what to study here

It shows how a mostly ochre palette can still build clear space through value zones, warm-cool contrast, and one saturated accent.

Study how the painter organizes the scene into three value and temperature zones: a bright, warm left half (yellow sails and lit street), a mid-valued middle ground (buildings and clustered figures), and a cool, dark right edge with a small shadowed archway. The sails are the most saturated shape on the canvas, so the eye enters there and then follows the ground plane toward the figures near the white building's entrance. Note how the street is built from loose, directional strokes that lead toward the right, while building outlines are handled with flat, direct strokes and form comes from color change rather than careful drawing. Figures are reduced to dark shapes with a slash of orange or yellow, with no faces or hands. The palette is mostly ochres and warm earths, with deep navy and black held back for the figures and the arch. Try a small value thumbnail first and check that the three zones read when you squint.

key decision

The painter put the highest-chroma shape, the yellow sails, on the lit left and kept the darkest darks in the figures and the right-hand arch, creating three readable value zones that carry the recession.

recreation guide

Houses in Buitrago (1920) by Carlos Saenz de Tejada is a genre painting executed in oil, characterized by the stylistic conventions of Cloisonnism. This style typically involves bold, dark outlines separating areas of flat, unmodulated color, creating a decorative effect reminiscent of stained glass or enamel work. As a genre painting, the work likely depicts scenes of everyday life or ordinary people engaged in common activities, focusing on the 'reality effect' of quotidian existence rather than specific historical or portrait identities (Source 4, Source 6). The composition relies on the organization of visual elements such as line, shape, and color to structure the scene, where the line serves as the visual path guiding the eye through the piece (Source 5).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (pigment + drying oil)	Primary medium for the painting	—
Linseed oil	General purpose drying oil for mixing paints and glazing	—
Safflower or Poppyseed oil	Mixing lighter colors like white to prevent yellowing	—
Canvas or linen support	Surface for painting	—
Varnish	For glazing and finishing, mixed with oil for mastery-level transparency	—
Charcoal or graphite	Underdrawing to establish composition and lines	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a linen or canvas support, which is a traditional support for oil painting derived from the flax plant (Source 3). Apply a ground suitable for oil painting. While specific priming methods for Saenz de Tejada are not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting practice often involves a white or neutral ground to allow for the full range of color values. Ensure the surface is dry before beginning the underdrawing.

underdrawing

Begin with a clear underdrawing to establish the composition. In Cloisonnism, the line is a critical element of design that defines shapes and guides the viewer's eye (Source 5). Draw the outlines of the houses and figures with precision, as these lines will likely serve as the 'cloisons' (partitions) that separate color fields. The drawing should be confident, as the style relies on distinct separation of forms.

underpainting

Consider using a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values before applying color. This technique involves painting the composition in a single color (often grey or brown) to determine light and shadow, mentally extracting red and yellow tones to focus on structure (Source 1). This step is crucial for ensuring that the final color application has a solid tonal foundation, especially when using transparent glazes later.

color palette

White

Lead white (historical) or Titanium Zinc (modern)

Highlights and light areas; historically, lead white was valued for opacity and fast drying, but modern equivalents are safer (Source 3)

Red and Yellow tones

Vermilion, Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow

Glazing and scumbling over the grisaille to add warmth and local color, as these tones are often extracted in the monochrome stage (Source 1)

Blue and Black

Ultramarine, Carbon Black

Establishing shadows and dark outlines; Reynolds noted using black, ultramarine, and white for initial paintings (Source 1)

Green

Viridian, Sap Green

Vegetation or background elements, mixed to achieve the desired flat, decorative tone characteristic of Cloisonnism

composition

The composition should emphasize the organization of visual elements, particularly line and shape. In Cloisonnism, the line is not just a contour but a structural element that defines the space (Source 5). The arrangement of houses and figures should create a balanced visual order, avoiding realistic perspective in favor of a more decorative, flattened space. The juxtaposition of colors should be considered carefully, as simultaneous contrast can affect the perceived tone and intensity of adjacent colors (Source 2).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition with charcoal, focusing on bold, clear outlines that define the shapes of the houses and figures.
Tip — Ensure lines are confident and distinct, as they will serve as the boundaries for color fields.
Line as element of design

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and forms. Mentally extract red and yellow tones to focus on structure.
Tip — Allow the grisaille to dry completely before proceeding to color application.
Monochrome underpainting

first pass

step 03
Begin applying flat areas of color within the outlined shapes. Use opaque paint for the base layers, ensuring even coverage.
Tip — Avoid blending within the shapes to maintain the Cloisonnist aesthetic.
Flat color application

refining

step 04
Glaze and scumble with oil to add depth and variation. Glazing involves applying a transparent coat of color, while scumbling uses semi-opaque paint to allow the underlying layer to show through.
Tip — Use red and yellow tones for glazing to warm up the composition, as suggested by the practice of extracting these colors in the grisaille stage.
Glazing and Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Adjust contrasts and harmonize colors. Pay attention to the simultaneous contrast of colors, where juxtaposed tones can enfeeble or heighten each other.
Tip — Ensure that the colors inherent to the objects (e.g., flesh tones, house colors) are harmonized with the chosen palette.
Simultaneous Contrast

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and enhance the depth of the glazes.
Tip — Use a varnish mixed with oil for a more controlled application, as recommended for advanced painters.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to add transparency and depth over a dry monochrome underpainting. Glazing applies transparent color, while scumbling uses semi-opaque paint to reveal the underlying layer.

Simultaneous Contrast

Considered when placing colors next to each other to avoid unintended tonal shifts. Juxtaposed colors can enfeeble or heighten each other, affecting the overall harmony.

Line as Structural Element

In Cloisonnism, bold outlines define shapes and guide the viewer's eye, serving as a key compositional tool.

common pitfalls

→Blending colors within shapes, which destroys the flat, decorative quality of Cloisonnism.
→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, leading to muddiness.
→Ignoring simultaneous contrast, resulting in colors that appear dull or distorted due to adjacent hues.
→Using linseed oil for white paints, which can yellow over time; use safflower or poppyseed oil for lighter colors (Source 3).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific details of the houses and figures in 'Houses in Buitrago' are not described in the sources, so the composition must be inferred from general Cloisonnist principles.
·Carlos Saenz de Tejada's specific palette preferences are not detailed, so standard oil painting pigments are recommended.
·The exact medium ratios (oil to pigment) used by the artist are unknown, so general best practices for oil painting are applied.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting and glazing techniques
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Color harmony and contrast

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to Materials and pigment properties
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- part 1 — applied to Genre painting characteristics
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- part 1 — applied to Compositional elements

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Light streams from the upper left, washing the street and white building fronts in warm yellow-gold while leaving the right side of the composition in cooler shadow. The eye enters at the bright yellow sails on the left—the hottest, most saturated shape in the entire painting—then travels along the ground plane toward the cluster of figures in orange and dark clothing near the white building's entrance. The composition is anchored by vertical architecture (the tan and white structures) against a horizontal street that recedes gently toward the shadowed right edge, where a small dark archway provides a visual rest point.

value structure

The darkest darks are the figures' clothing (deep navy, black) and the shadowed arch on the right; mid-tones dominate the building walls and street surface in warm ochres and greens; the lightest lights are the white building face and the cream-colored sails. When you squint, you see three clear value zones: the bright left half (sails + lit street), the medium mid-ground (buildings + clustered figures), and the cool-dark right edge (shadow and archway). This progression creates spatial recession.

observed palette and mixes

#e4cc82
yellow ochre + titanium white + touch of raw sienna
dominant street surface and sail highlights; the overall warm wash across the lower two-thirds
#c69437
burnt sienna + yellow ochre + touch of cadmium orange
medium building tones, shutters, roof detail, and the children's clothing in orange-rust
#976e20
raw umber + burnt sienna + touch of black
shadow sides of buildings, the arch opening, and deep recesses on the right; anchors dark values
#a37c2a
yellow ochre + burnt umber + white
mid-tone building walls and architectural definition; bridges warm and cool
#3a3d23
ultramarine + raw umber + touches of ochre
figures' dark clothing, window panes with red trim, foreground foliage suggestion

edges and brushwork

Edges are deliberately soft and simplified—building outlines are handled with flat, direct strokes that define form through color change rather than careful outline. The sails use bolder, more deliberate edge work with visible brushstrokes that follow the fabric folds. Figures are suggested with minimal detail: a dark shape with a slash of orange or yellow, no facial features or hands rendered; the street and ground are built in loose, directional strokes that follow the recession toward the right.

a working sequence

01
Establish the warm ground wash
Block in the entire street and lower two-thirds with a loose, thin wash of yellow ochre + white + a touch of raw sienna. Work quickly across the full width, leaving the upper architecture area untouched for now. This creates the foundational warmth that unifies the scene.
02
Build the yellow sails as your anchor
Paint the bright yellow sails on the left with cadmium yellow + touch of white, using deliberate downward and angled strokes. These sails are the highest chroma element—don't tone them down. Let them sit slightly above the ground wash, establishing the key focal point.
03
Block in the white building faces
Lay in the white structure on the right using titanium white + tiny touch of raw sienna to keep it warm, not cool. Define the building's broad planes: front face, the receding side wall, and the red-trimmed window openings. Use flat strokes, not detailed work.
04
Establish the shadowed architecture on the right and back
Paint the tan/ochre building in the background (upper left area) and the deeper shadow masses on the far right using burnt sienna + yellow ochre + raw umber. The dark arch opening should be nearly black (ultramarine + raw umber). These cool-shadow areas push space backward and frame the lit street.
05
Place the figure cluster and orange accents
Suggest the group of figures and children near the building entrance with simple shapes: dark navy/black for adults' clothing, bright orange-rust for children's shirts. Use burnt sienna + cadmium orange for the warmest figures. Don't paint individual faces or hands—treat people as unified color masses that sit on the ground plane.
06
Refine building details and color temperature shifts
Add red window panes (cadmium red + touch of ultramarine for depth) to the white and tan buildings; clarify the shadow sides of the left-side buildings with warmer ochres to show they're lit from the upper left. Reinforce the vertical posts and architectural edges, but keep them soft—use thin lines of darker ochre or brown rather than hard black outlines.
07
Layer and warm the foreground
Strengthen the street surface with a second layer of yellow ochre + white + touch of green in the immediate foreground, letting it sit over your initial wash. This gives the ground more texture and warmth. Hint at a few small green foliage shapes (ultramarine + yellow ochre) in the lower left to suggest planted areas around the sails.
08
Unify and adjust final values
Step back and squint. Check that the right side reads as cool shadow (darker, more muted) and the left-center reads as bright and warm. If the transition feels abrupt, glaze a thin warm wash across the mid-ground to soften it. Darken the figures' clothing slightly if they blend too much into the street. The painting should read as three clear zones: bright sails + lit street, medium buildings + figures, and cool shadowed right edge.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Making the sails' yellow too pale or muted—they need to sing with high saturation to pull the eye and establish the painting's color key.
Painting figures with too much anatomical detail or attempting faces; the cloisonnist approach treats people as flat color shapes with hard edges between clothing colors.
Losing the cool-shadow/warm-light temperature contrast; the right side must stay distinctly cooler and darker, not just a copy of the left in a different tone.
Over-blending edges throughout; keep most boundaries between color areas distinct and sometimes hard, especially where buildings meet sky or figures meet ground.
Neglecting the green tones in the street and shadows—the ochres alone will look flat; introduce subtle ultramarine + ochre mixes to suggest shade and atmospheric depth.

measured difficulty