plate no. 4922

Montmartre in the evening

Konstantín Korovin, 1930

oilImpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingstreesstreetfiguresnight

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing atmospheric perspective and using broken color to create a sense of light and movement. It's also a good exercise in simplifying complex scenes into essential shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, trees, and street, focusing on composition.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of diluted color, paying attention to the dark areas of the trees and the light areas of the buildings.
step 03
Block in the main colors of the buildings, street, and trees, using broad brushstrokes.
step 04
Begin adding details to the buildings, such as windows and awnings, using smaller brushes.
step 05
Develop the foliage of the trees with broken color, layering different shades of green, blue, and purple.
step 06
Add figures and other details to the street scene, using quick, gestural brushstrokes.
step 07
Refine the highlights and shadows to create a sense of depth and dimension.
step 08
Add final touches and details to complete the painting.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red · sap green · purple

Mix various shades of brown and gray by combining burnt umber, ultramarine blue, and white. Use yellow ochre and white to create the warm glow of the streetlights and windows. Mix greens with blue and yellow, and add a touch of red to neutralize them.

techniques

·broken color
·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling
·alla prima
·value sketching

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impressionistic effect.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure early on.
→Using colors that are too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of the scene.
→Making the brushstrokes too uniform and not varying the direction and pressure.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 12x16
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, burnt umber, yellow ochre, titanium white, cadmium red, sap green)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife
·rags or paper towels