plate no. 0609

St. Regis Restaurant

Alexander Calder, 1925

oilAmerican Realismgenre paintingcityscaperestaurantfiguresstreetnightbuilding

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing atmospheric perspective and simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values. It's a good exercise in capturing a sense of place with limited detail.

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 buildings, figures, and street, focusing on proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the darkest values and working towards the lighter ones.
step 03
Define the restaurant sign with a light, warm color, paying attention to the lettering.
step 04
Add details to the figures, simplifying their forms and focusing on their silhouettes.
step 05
Create the impression of reflections on the wet street using horizontal brushstrokes and varying values.
step 06
Refine the details of the building facades and windows.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Sign the painting in the lower right corner.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber · yellow ochre

secondary · cadmium yellow · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue

Mix various shades of gray by combining black and white with small amounts of yellow ochre or burnt sienna for warmth. Use ultramarine blue to cool down the grays for the sky.

techniques