plate no. 5362

Neige à Montmartre

pastelImpressionismcityscapesnowstreetbuildingstreesskycityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and creating the illusion of depth using subtle value and color changes. It also provides practice in rendering textures of snow and bare trees.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the perspective of the street and the placement of buildings.
step 02
Establish the overall sky tone with a blend of warm and cool grays.
step 03
Block in the large shapes of the buildings and walls, paying attention to their values.
step 04
Begin layering the snow on the street, using short, broken strokes to create texture.
step 05
Add the bare trees, using thin lines and varying the pressure to create depth.
step 06
Refine the details of the buildings and walls, adding highlights and shadows.
step 07
Adjust the overall values and colors to create a sense of atmosphere.
step 08
Add final touches, such as subtle highlights on the snow and branches.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna

Achieve the various gray tones by mixing white with raw umber and small amounts of blue or sienna. Use yellow ochre to warm up the buildings and sky.

techniques

·atmospheric perspective
·broken color
·dry brushing
·layering
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the snow texture, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Using too much pure white, making the snow look unnatural.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the sky and buildings.
→Failing to establish a clear sense of perspective.
→Making the tree branches too uniform.

materials

surface · pastel paper

required

·pastel sticks
·pastel paper
·kneaded eraser
·fixative spray
·soft blending tools
·drawing board
·paper towels

optional

·palette knife
·pastel pencils
·workable fixative

Choose a pastel paper with a slightly textured surface to allow for better adhesion of the pastels. Consider using a tinted paper to create a base tone for the painting.

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