plate no. 7491

Old factory on the Somme (Evening)

Frits Thaulow, 1906

oilImpressionismcityscapebuildingwaterriverskycityscapefactory

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective, rendering reflections in water, and capturing the texture of aged buildings.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the building, river, and horizon line.
step 02
Establish the overall warm color tone with a thin wash of burnt sienna and yellow ochre.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color for the building, water, and sky, focusing on value relationships.
step 04
Develop the details of the building, including windows, brickwork, and signage.
step 05
Add the reflections in the water, paying attention to distortion and color variations.
step 06
Create the texture of the water with short, broken brushstrokes.
step 07
Refine the sky and add subtle color variations to create atmospheric perspective.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to enhance the overall impression.

color palette

primary · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · raw umber · cadmium yellow

Achieve the warm, muted tones by mixing burnt sienna with yellow ochre and small amounts of ultramarine blue. Use titanium white to lighten values and create highlights.

techniques

·wet-on-wet blending
·broken color
·scumbling
·atmospheric perspective
·rendering reflections

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details of the building too early.
→Failing to capture the subtle color variations in the water.
→Creating reflections that are too symmetrical or uniform.
→Ignoring the atmospheric perspective and making the distant elements too sharp.