plate no. 4267

Street in a Provincial Town

Abraham Manievich, 1915

oilPost-Impressionismcityscapebuildingstreesstreethousesshadowscityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in applying broken color and capturing the effects of light and shadow with bold brushstrokes. It's also a good exercise in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: buildings, trees, and the basic street layout.
step 02
Establish the darkest shadow areas with a thin wash of burnt umber or a similar dark brown.
step 03
Block in the main color areas for the buildings, using a mix of white, ochre, and a touch of red.
step 04
Apply the orange/brown tones to the foreground and tree trunks, varying the intensity.
step 05
Use short, broken brushstrokes to build up the texture and color variations in the buildings and ground.
step 06
Add highlights to the buildings and trees using lighter shades of white and yellow.
step 07
Refine the details of the windows, doors, and tree branches.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · raw umber

secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue

Mix white with ochre and a touch of red to create the building's off-white color. Use burnt sienna and raw umber for the browns, adding red for warmer tones and blue for cooler shadows. A touch of blue with white can create the sky peeking through the trees.

techniques