plate no. 8632
Street in Damvillers
Jules Bastien-Lepage, 1882
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students understand atmospheric perspective and how to simplify complex scenes into basic shapes and values. It also provides practice in mixing subtle color variations to represent light and shadow.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: buildings, road, and horizon line.
- step 02
Establish the basic color of the sky with a thin wash.
- step 03
Block in the large shapes of the buildings with their local colors, paying attention to the light and shadow.
- step 04
Roughly indicate the road and foreground vegetation with broad strokes.
- step 05
Refine the shapes of the buildings, adding details like windows and doors.
- step 06
Develop the texture of the roofs with short, broken strokes.
- step 07
Add details to the foreground vegetation, varying the greens and browns.
- step 08
Adjust values and colors throughout the painting to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · yellow ochre
secondary · raw umber · cadmium red light · sap green
Mix various shades of gray for the buildings by combining white, blue, and a touch of burnt sienna or umber. Achieve the sky color by diluting ultramarine blue with white. Mix greens for the vegetation by combining yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, and a touch of burnt sienna.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·color mixing
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Creating colors that are too saturated or bright.
- →Failing to establish a clear value structure.
- →Ignoring the subtle color shifts in the sky and buildings.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·burnt sienna oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium (e.g. Liquin)
- ·easel
Use a medium-tooth canvas for better texture. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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