plate no. 5346

St.Denis

oilPost-Impressionismcityscapecityscapestreetfiguresbuildingstreesreflections

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing atmospheric perspective and rendering reflections on wet surfaces. It also provides practice in depicting figures in motion and suggesting detail with loose brushwork.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes and perspective lines of the buildings and street.
step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a thin wash of neutral color.
step 03
Block in the large shapes of the buildings, sky, and street with broad strokes.
step 04
Add the figures, focusing on their silhouettes and gestures.
step 05
Develop the reflections on the wet street, using horizontal strokes and varying values.
step 06
Refine the details of the buildings and figures, adding highlights and shadows.
step 07
Add the details of the trees and street lamps.
step 08
Apply final glazes to unify the painting and enhance the colors.

color palette

primary · ivory black · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue

Mix various shades of gray and brown for the buildings and street. Use yellow ochre and cadmium yellow for the warm light of the street lamps and shop windows. Mix alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue for the darker tones in the figures' clothing.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·wet-on-wet blending
·atmospheric perspective
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Making the reflections too literal and symmetrical.
→Not capturing the atmospheric perspective, causing the background to appear too sharp.