plate no. 4415

Odessa. Fountain at the Opera House

linocut, paperRealismcityscapecityscapefountainarchitecturestatuebuildingopera house

some experience helpful

Recreating this linocut-style painting will help students develop skills in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and using a limited color palette to create depth and contrast. It also encourages practice in creating texture through brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the fountain, the opera house, and the background buildings.
step 02
Establish the basic composition and proportions.
step 03
Apply a base layer of the light teal color to the sky and background.
step 04
Mix a darker teal/green color for the buildings and shadows.
step 05
Use the darker color to define the architectural details of the opera house and the shapes of the background buildings.
step 06
Apply white to the fountain statue, leaving some teal showing through for shadows and form.
step 07
Add dark green/black to the foreground to represent the grass and foliage, using short, choppy strokes.
step 08
Refine details and add highlights where necessary.

color palette

primary · light teal · dark green/black · white

secondary ·

Mix the light teal by combining a blue-green with white. The dark green/black can be achieved by mixing a dark green with a touch of black or burnt umber.

techniques