Street in Rouen

Golden afternoon light streams from the left, flooding the street and lower buildings with warm terracotta and orange while casting cool purple shadows along the edges. The eye enters from the foreground along the rust-colored street, then travels through depth to the church steeple—a dark vertical accent that rises from the middle distance like an anchor. Three figures at different depths provide scale and rhythm; the sky is luminous cream and pale yellow, nearly the same value as the distant church tower, which creates atmospheric distance.

The darkest values—near black—are concentrated in the tree (left edge), the church body and spire, and the small human figures. A vast mid-tone region occupies the street and buildings in warm earth tones. The lightest values are the sky and the cream-colored tower. Squint and you see a warm horizontal band (street and lower walls) interrupted by a dark vertical form (church), set against a pale sky—a simple three-value structure underlying the detail.

• #c2a488

  Yellow ochre + titanium white + touch of burnt sienna

  Sky, cream-colored church tower, lighter walls and buildings

• #9e6246

  Burnt sienna + yellow ochre + white

  Main street color, dominant warm mid-tone throughout foreground

• #b99c88

  Yellow ochre + burnt sienna + white (lighter mix)

  Lighter passages on buildings, warm shadows on walls

• #795344

  Burnt sienna + ultramarine blue + ivory black

  Deeper shadows on buildings, wall bases, darker earth tones

• #35221e

  Ivory black + ultramarine blue + touch of alizarin crimson

  Tree foliage, church structure, figures, deepest shadows

• #a87d63

  Burnt sienna + yellow ochre (intermediate warm)

  Reddish walls on right side, roofline, middle building tones

Brushwork is controlled and directional—horizontal strokes settle the sky, vertical and angular marks define the tree, downward strokes follow the street's perspective. Edges soften with distance: the church and tree are softer-edged than the foreground figures and wall bases. The technique is observational Impressionism, with broken color and clear brushstrokes, but more structured than gestural—the paint remains readable and form-respecting rather than purely expressive.

1. 01

   Composition and Value Map

   Lightly sketch the composition in charcoal: the street receding to the church steeple, the left tree mass and its rough silhouette, the wall outline on the right, and the approximate positions of the three figures. Block in three value zones: sky (light), street and buildings (mid-warm), and tree and church (dark).

2. 02

   Sky and Atmosphere

   Paint the entire sky with a loose, warm wash—pale yellow ochre and cream with subtle purple-blue in the upper corners. Leave it soft and luminous; don't overwork. The sky should feel like morning or late afternoon light, not flat.

3. 03

   Street Foundation

   Block in the entire street with your warm rust-orange mix (burnt sienna + yellow ochre + white). Let the color be broken and varied—slightly warmer on the left where light falls, slightly cooler (add touch of ultramarine) on the right in shadow. Follow the perspective lines toward the church.

4. 04

   Buildings and Walls

   Paint the terracotta and rust-colored buildings and walls. Use a warmer cream on left-facing surfaces, a cooler reddish-brown on right-facing surfaces. The wall that runs along the left should be warm orange; the buildings on the right should lean toward deeper rust. Leave some street visible between forms.

5. 05

   Tree Mass

   Block in the dark tree on the left with your darkest mix (black + ultramarine + touch of sienna). Don't make it a flat silhouette—vary the edge slightly and suggest some internal form with a darker green-brown underneath the pure black, showing it has dimension rather than being a cutout.

6. 06

   Church and Focal Point

   Paint the church building in dark blue-purple shadow (ultramarine + alizarin + black), and the tower cream-white (white + yellow ochre). The steeple should be sharp and clear against the sky. The church is the value and compositional anchor—make sure it reads as solid and distinct, but let the edges soften slightly in the distant atmosphere.

7. 07

   Figures and Street Life

   Add the three figures in silhouette or near-silhouette (dark brown or black) at different depths along the street. One appears as a carriage or large form on the left-center, one as a standing figure in dark clothing center-street, and one on the right edge. Keep them simple and let them anchor the human scale of the scene.

8. 08

   Refinement and Atmosphere

   Step back and refine edges: soften the church and tree transitions to sky, sharpen the foreground figures and wall details, and deepen any purple-shadow accents in street recesses and building undersides. Add a few warm highlights on the church tower and brightest street areas. The final pass should enhance the glow of afternoon light without losing the structured, readable composition.

• The street color is a specific warm terracotta—many beginners mix it too orange or too brown. Use broken color: let yellow ochre and burnt sienna sit separately, then blend subtly. Avoid pure orange.
• The tree can become a flat, muddy dark shape. Vary the edge, suggest internal form with a cooler dark underneath, and ensure it reads as a mass in space, not a shadow.
• The church steeple is small and can vanish if not carefully valued. Keep it darker than the tower base and ensure it stands clear against the sky—it's the compositional anchor.
• The figures can seem too large or too small if proportions drift. They're tiny on the vast street—use this scale contrast intentionally. A single figure should be roughly 1/15th to 1/20th of the street's height.
• Overworking the sky destroys its luminosity. Keep the sky simple, warm, and soft—the charm is in its spaciousness, not in detail. A few directional brushstrokes are enough.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility