apprentice
artistsserieslearnchatartworkscommunity gallery
apprentice

deliberate practice for serious artists

aboutgalleryprivacyterms
built by reducibl.com
home·artworks·So the four Brothers took their sticks in their hands, bade their Father good-bye, and passed out of the town gate
So the four Brothers took their sticks in their hands, bade their Father good-bye, and passed out of the town gate by Arthur Rackham

plate no. 1855

So the four Brothers took their sticks in their hands, bade their Father good-bye, and passed out of the town gate

Arthur Rackham

oilArt Nouveau (Modern)illustrationtownfiguresbuildingsdogsstreetarchway
some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in creating depth through line work and hatching, as well as understanding how to depict figures in a complex scene.

technical profile

palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

  1. step 01

    Lightly sketch the overall composition, focusing on the archway, buildings, and placement of the figures.

  2. step 02

    Refine the sketch, adding details to the buildings, figures, and dogs.

  3. step 03

    Begin adding line work to define the shapes and create texture, starting with the darkest areas.

  4. step 04

    Use hatching and cross-hatching to build up values and create depth.

  5. step 05

    Add color washes to the buildings and figures, keeping the colors muted and subtle.

  6. step 06

    Refine the details with fine lines, adding highlights and shadows.

  7. step 07

    Pay attention to the perspective and scale of the figures and buildings.

  8. step 08

    Add final touches and adjust values as needed.

color palette

primary · sepia · burnt umber · ivory black

secondary · raw sienna · payne's gray · cadmium red light

Mix sepia and burnt umber for the darker tones. Use raw sienna and a touch of cadmium red light for the warmer hues in the buildings. Payne's gray can be used to cool down the shadows.

techniques

  • ·Hatching and cross-hatching
  • ·Line drawing
  • ·Dry brushing
  • ·Limited color palette
  • ·Creating depth with line work

common pitfalls

  • →Overworking the details
  • →Losing the overall composition
  • →Using colors that are too bright
  • →Not paying attention to perspective

materials

surface · watercolor paper 140lb

required

  • ·Fine liner pens (various sizes)
  • ·Watercolor paper
  • ·Watercolor paints (sepia, burnt umber, ivory black, raw sienna, payne's gray, cadmium red light)
  • ·Round brushes (small sizes)
  • ·Pencil
  • ·Eraser
  • ·Palette
  • ·Water container

optional

  • ·Magnifying glass
  • ·Tracing paper
  • ·Ruler

Use high-quality watercolor paper to prevent buckling. Experiment with different pen sizes to achieve varying line weights.

tips & new artworks in your inbox

no spam — unsubscribe anytime.

or to save artworks, chat, and track progress

related guides

oil painting for beginners →how to learn by studying the masters →
chat about this artwork

in this vein

related artworks

Kolo Moser

Kolo Moser

Koloman Moser

L'Atelier de Diebold Lauber

L'Atelier de Diebold Lauber

Léo Schnug

Family Gathering in Saint Idesbald

Family Gathering in Saint Idesbald

Georges Lemmen

The Kiss

The Kiss

Rose O'Neill

His grandmother had Told Him (from The Garden of Paradise)

His grandmother had Told Him (from The Garden of Paradise)

Edmund Dulac

Two girls

Two girls

Felice Casorati

Girl with a rose

Girl with a rose

Paul Mathiopoulos

The King

The King

Alexandre Benois