plate no. 9396

Nocturne in Grey and Gold: Chelsea Snow

oil, canvasTonalismcityscapecityscapesnownightbuildingsfigurestreetlights

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and how to create a sense of depth using subtle value and color shifts. It also provides practice in capturing the mood of a nocturnal scene.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare a canvas with a mid-tone grey or brown ground.
step 02
Lightly sketch the basic shapes: the road, buildings, and figure.
step 03
Block in the darkest areas of the buildings and trees using a dark brown or black.
step 04
Apply the base color of the snow-covered road, a muted blue-grey.
step 05
Add lighter values to the road to suggest the snow's surface and the reflection of light.
step 06
Paint the warm glow of the streetlights and windows, blending them softly into the surrounding darkness.
step 07
Add the figure as a dark silhouette, paying attention to its scale and placement.
step 08
Refine the details and blend the edges to create a soft, atmospheric effect.

color palette

primary · ivory black · ultramarine blue · raw umber

secondary · yellow ochre · titanium white · burnt umber

Mix ivory black and ultramarine blue for the dark areas. Add raw umber to darken and mute the blues. Use yellow ochre and titanium white to create the warm glow of the lights. Mix small amounts of burnt umber to darken the yellows.

techniques