plate no. 4274

St. Etienne du Mont (Church of St. Genevieve)

Grant Wood, 1920

oilImpressionismcityscapechurchbuildingcityscapefiguresskystreet

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing architectural forms with loose brushwork and creating a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in simplifying complex shapes and focusing on overall tonal relationships.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the church, buildings, and figures, focusing on proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of light blue and yellow, blending the colors softly.
step 03
Establish the main value masses of the church and surrounding buildings using a limited palette of browns, grays, and creams.
step 04
Add details to the church facade, such as windows and architectural elements, using small, broken brushstrokes.
step 05
Paint the figures in the foreground with simplified shapes and minimal detail.
step 06
Develop the street and sidewalk with horizontal brushstrokes, suggesting texture and perspective.
step 07
Refine the colors and values throughout the painting, paying attention to the overall harmony and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to create a sense of light and depth.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna

Mix various shades of brown and gray by combining raw umber, ultramarine blue, and titanium white. Use yellow ochre to warm up the browns and create highlights.

techniques

·broken color
·atmospheric perspective
·scumbling
·alla prima
·limited palette

common pitfalls

→Getting bogged down in excessive detail, especially in the architectural elements.
→Overworking the brushstrokes and losing the freshness of the impressionistic style.
→Failing to establish a clear value structure, resulting in a flat and unconvincing image.
→Using too many colors and creating a muddy or discordant palette.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·raw umber oil paint
·titanium white oil paint
·yellow ochre oil paint
·ultramarine blue oil paint
·burnt sienna oil paint
·#4 round brush
·#8 flat brush

optional

·palette knife
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits

Use a medium-textured canvas to allow for expressive brushstrokes. Consider using a toned canvas to establish a base color and simplify the initial stages of painting.

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