plate no. 0578

Rue de l'epicerie at Rouen, on a Grey Morning

oil, canvasImpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingsstreetfiguresskycathedral

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve atmospheric perspective and practice loose, impressionistic brushstrokes to capture the essence of a scene rather than precise details.

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 cathedral, paying attention to perspective.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light blue and gray.
step 03
Establish the main color masses for the buildings, using a limited palette of earth tones and muted colors.
step 04
Add details to the buildings, such as windows and architectural features, using small, broken brushstrokes.
step 05
Paint the street and figures, focusing on capturing the light and shadow patterns.
step 06
Refine the details of the cathedral, using a variety of brushstrokes to create texture and depth.
step 07
Add final touches and highlights to bring the painting to life.
step 08
Glaze with thin washes to unify the colors and create a sense of atmosphere.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre · cerulean blue

secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium red light · ivory black

Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors and adding white. Use thin washes of color to create depth and atmosphere.

techniques

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

common pitfalls

→Getting bogged down in details too early.
→Using colors that are too saturated.
→Ignoring the importance of value contrast.
→Failing to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (18x24 inches)
·oil paints (raw umber, titanium white, yellow ochre, cerulean blue, burnt sienna, cadmium red light, ivory black)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat, sizes 2-8)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife