plate no. 4707

Street in Soest

Christian Rohlfs, 1911

oilExpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingsfiguresstreetchurchsky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand the use of positive and negative space to create form and develop skills in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes. It also encourages experimentation with expressive mark-making to convey mood and atmosphere.

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 and composition of the buildings, figures, and sky.
step 02
Define the main areas of light and dark, focusing on the overall balance of the composition.
step 03
Begin filling in the dark areas with solid black, paying attention to the edges and shapes.
step 04
Use varying pressure to create different line weights and textures in the black areas.
step 05
Add details to the buildings and figures, using both thick and thin lines.
step 06
Refine the shapes and edges, making sure the composition is balanced and visually interesting.
step 07
Add final touches and details to enhance the overall effect.
step 08
Step back and assess the overall composition, making any necessary adjustments.

color palette

primary · black · white

secondary ·

This painting relies on the contrast between black and white, so no color mixing is required.

techniques

·positive and negative space
·line variation
·simplification of form
·expressive mark-making
·contrast

common pitfalls

→Overcomplicating the composition with too many details
→Failing to create a strong contrast between light and dark areas
→Not varying the line weight and texture enough
→Losing the overall balance of the composition

materials

surface · smooth white paper

required

·white paper
·black ink or paint
·various sized brushes or pens
·pencil
·eraser
·ruler

optional

·palette knife
·masking tape

Use a good quality paper that can handle ink or paint without bleeding. Experiment with different brushes or pens to achieve different line weights and textures.

tips & new artworks in your inbox

no spam — unsubscribe anytime.

or to save artworks, chat, and track progress

chat about this artwork

in this vein