plate no. 9794

Sacre-Coeur and Passage Cottin

oilPost-Impressionismcityscapebuildingsstreetfiguressnowcityscapearchitecture

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice perspective in urban landscapes and develop skills in rendering textures with visible brushstrokes. It's also a good exercise in capturing a muted, wintery color palette.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic perspective lines of the street and buildings, focusing on converging lines.
step 02
Block in the main shapes of the buildings, Sacre-Coeur, and figures with diluted paint.
step 03
Establish the sky tone with a light gray wash.
step 04
Start adding details to the buildings, such as windows and architectural features, using thicker paint.
step 05
Develop the snow-covered surfaces with white and light gray, paying attention to the direction of light.
step 06
Paint the figures with simple shapes and limited detail.
step 07
Add shadows and highlights to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Refine details and add final touches, such as the street markings and subtle color variations.

color palette

primary · titanium white · raw umber · burnt sienna

secondary · cadmium yellow · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson

Achieve the muted tones by mixing white with small amounts of raw umber, burnt sienna, and touches of blue or crimson. Use yellow and sienna for the warm tones in the windows and buildings.

techniques