plate no. 5546
Street Corner Merchants
Henri Catargi, 1959
suitable for beginners
This painting is great for practicing loose watercolor washes and capturing light and shadow with minimal detail. Students will learn to suggest forms rather than rendering them precisely.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: building, tree, figures, and ground.
- step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted yellow ochre or raw sienna to the entire paper as a base tone.
- step 03
Begin with the sky and background, using a very diluted wash of blue or grey.
- step 04
Paint the building using a light wash of white mixed with a touch of burnt sienna, leaving some areas unpainted for highlights.
- step 05
Add darker washes of burnt sienna and umber to define the shadows on the building and ground.
- step 06
Paint the tree with a mix of green, brown, and yellow, using loose, expressive brushstrokes.
- step 07
Add the figures using simple shapes and washes of color, focusing on their silhouettes.
- step 08
Add final details and accents with a small brush, such as the lines of the building and the details of the figures.
color palette
primary · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · ultramarine blue · raw umber · cadmium red light
Achieve the muted tones by mixing complementary colors (e.g., burnt sienna and ultramarine blue). Dilute colors significantly with water for transparent washes.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·dry brush texture
- ·watercolor washes
- ·lifting color
- ·suggestive brushstrokes
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the washes.
- →Using colors that are too saturated.
- →Defining edges too sharply.
- →Making the sketch too detailed before applying the washes.
materials
surface · watercolor paper 140lb
required
- ·Watercolor paper 140lb
- ·Watercolor paints (burnt sienna, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, titanium white)
- ·Round watercolor brushes (sizes 4, 8, 12)
- ·Water container
- ·Palette
- ·Pencil
- ·Eraser
optional
- ·Masking fluid
- ·Palette knife
- ·Spray bottle
Use a good quality watercolor paper to prevent buckling. Experiment with different brush sizes to achieve varied textures.
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