plate no. 2740

Street Scene, Cairo (also known as A North African Street)

oilRealismcityscapecityscapebuildingsstreetfiguresminaretMiddle East

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and rendering architectural details with watercolor washes. It also provides practice in depicting figures in a crowd and creating a sense of depth.

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 of the buildings and the minaret, paying attention to perspective.
step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted yellow ochre or raw sienna to the entire paper to create a warm undertone.
step 03
Begin layering washes of color on the buildings, starting with the lightest tones and gradually building up the darker values.
step 04
Use a slightly darker wash to define the shadows and architectural details.
step 05
Paint the figures in the street, using small, quick strokes to suggest their forms.
step 06
Add details to the minaret, such as the red stripes and the architectural features.
step 07
Use a dry brush technique to add texture to the buildings and the street.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw sienna · burnt sienna

secondary · ultramarine blue · alizarin crimson · ivory black

Mix yellow ochre and raw sienna for the warm tones of the buildings. Use ultramarine blue and burnt sienna to create the cooler shadows. Add alizarin crimson to burnt sienna for the red stripes on the minaret.

techniques

·watercolor washes
·dry brush
·atmospheric perspective
·layering
·rendering architectural details

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the freshness of the watercolor.
→Using too much water and creating muddy colors.
→Not paying attention to perspective and creating distorted buildings.
→Making the figures too detailed and distracting from the overall composition.

materials

surface · watercolor paper 140lb

required

·watercolor paper 140lb
·watercolor paints
·round watercolor brushes (various sizes)
·palette
·water container
·pencil
·eraser
·masking tape

optional

·palette knife
·ruler
·kneaded eraser

Use high-quality watercolor paper to prevent buckling and allow for multiple washes. Experiment with different brush sizes to achieve various effects.

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