plate no. 0102

Paris, Quai Des Celestins

Włodzimierz Zakrzewski, 1981

oilRealismcityscapecityscaperivertreesbuildingsboatssky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in impressionistic brushwork and capturing the atmospheric perspective of a cityscape. It also provides practice in mixing subtle color variations to represent light and shadow.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the river, buildings, and main tree.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of diluted paint, indicating light and shadow areas.
step 03
Begin blocking in the sky and water with broad strokes, using a limited palette of grays, blues, and greens.
step 04
Develop the buildings in the background, paying attention to their relative values and muted colors.
step 05
Add the trees, focusing on capturing the intricate network of branches with short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Introduce details to the foreground, such as the boats and reflections in the water.
step 07
Refine the highlights on the water and buildings to create a sense of light and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed to achieve a cohesive and harmonious effect.

color palette

primary · gray · blue-gray · green-gray · brown

secondary · white · ochre · burnt umber · light blue

Mix various shades of gray by combining white, black, and small amounts of blue, green, and brown. Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors.

techniques

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

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impressionistic effect.
→Using colors that are too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of the scene.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure, resulting in a flat and unconvincing painting.
→Making the tree branches too uniform and lacking in natural variation.