plate no. 5276

Street Tonight

František Hudeček, 1944

oilExpressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingsstreetstreetlightsfiguresnight

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in geometric abstraction and color blocking, as well as understanding perspective in an urban environment.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic perspective lines and building shapes.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: dark blue for the sky, various blues and greens for the buildings.
step 03
Paint the red streetlight poles and the yellow lights.
step 04
Add the black outlines to define the geometric shapes of the buildings.
step 05
Introduce subtle variations in color within each block to add depth.
step 06
Paint the figures as simple silhouettes.
step 07
Refine the details of the buildings and streetlights.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights.

color palette

primary · Prussian blue · Ultramarine blue · Emerald green

secondary · Cadmium red · Cadmium yellow · Black

Mix different shades of blue and green by adding white or black to the primary colors. Use a touch of yellow to create lighter greens.

techniques

·Color blocking
·Geometric abstraction
·Linear perspective
·Dry brushing
·Outlining

common pitfalls

→Overcomplicating the geometric shapes.
→Using too many colors, which can muddy the overall effect.
→Ignoring the perspective lines, which can make the composition feel flat.
→Making the outlines too thick or uneven.

materials

surface · Stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Acrylic or oil paints (Prussian blue, Ultramarine blue, Emerald green, Cadmium red, Cadmium yellow, Black, Titanium White)
·Flat brushes (various sizes)
·Round brush (small)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Ruler
·Pencil