plate no. 9368

Spring Morning, Houston and Division Streets, New York

George Luks, 1922

oil, canvasNew Realismgenre paintingmarketfiguresbuildingsflowersstreetcityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing light and shadow with bold brushstrokes and mixing colors to create a sense of atmosphere. It also encourages simplification of complex scenes into basic shapes and color blocks.

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 and composition, focusing on the placement of figures and buildings.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the sky and ground.
step 03
Establish the basic values (light and dark) in the buildings and figures.
step 04
Add details to the figures, such as clothing folds and facial features, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 05
Develop the foreground flowers and vegetables with a variety of colors and textures.
step 06
Refine the highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 07
Add final details and adjust colors as needed.
step 08
Sign your work.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · cadmium red · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · viridian · burnt umber · alizarin crimson

Mix various combinations of the primary colors to achieve the subtle variations in the buildings, figures, and ground. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights. Mix blue and red for the purples in the flowers.

techniques