plate no. 7025

Paris.Venice street

Konstantín Korovin, 1927

oilImpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingsstreetfiguresnightreflections

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing atmospheric perspective and using broken color to create the illusion of light and movement. It is also good practice for painting reflections and figures in a loose, impressionistic style.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the buildings and the street layout.
step 02
Establish the overall color scheme by blocking in the large areas of dark green sky, the buildings, and the street with thin washes.
step 03
Begin layering in the details of the buildings, focusing on the lights and shadows created by the street lamps and windows.
step 04
Add the figures in the foreground using quick, gestural brushstrokes.
step 05
Paint the reflections on the wet street, paying attention to the distortion and blurring of the lights and colors.
step 06
Refine the details of the awning and signage of the restaurant.
step 07
Add final touches of light and shadow to create depth and atmosphere.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers to unify the painting and adjust values.

color palette

primary · viridian green · burnt umber · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

secondary · ultramarine blue · titanium white

Mix various shades of green by combining viridian green with burnt umber and ultramarine blue. Use cadmium yellow and white to create the warm glow of the streetlights and windows. Mix alizarin crimson with burnt umber to create the reds and browns of the buildings.

techniques

·broken color
·wet-on-wet blending
·scumbling
·glazing
·atmospheric perspective

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
→Creating colors that are too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of the night scene.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure, resulting in a flat and unconvincing painting.
→Not capturing the subtle color shifts in the reflections.