plate no. 8636

Red House - Karlovo

Nikola Tanev, 1932

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapehousetreeslandscapefoliagebuildingstairs

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve naturalistic greens and reds, as well as practice applying visible brushstrokes to create texture and form.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the house, the ground, and the trees.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the red of the house, the greens and yellows of the ground, and the blues of the background.
step 03
Start adding details to the house, such as the stairs, windows, and roof.
step 04
Develop the foliage by layering different shades of green and yellow, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 05
Refine the shadows and highlights to create depth and dimension.
step 06
Add details to the ground, such as the path and the shadows of the trees.
step 07
Adjust the colors and values as needed to create a harmonious composition.
step 08
Add final details and highlights.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · viridian green · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber

Mix greens by combining viridian green with yellow ochre and white. Create variations in the red by adding burnt umber or white. Use ultramarine blue to darken shadows.

techniques

·broken color
·impasto
·scumbling
·layering
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, which can result in a muddy appearance.
→Failing to create enough contrast between light and shadow.
→Getting lost in the details too early, before establishing the overall composition.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing them.