plate no. 2123

Strike

Grace Cossington Smith, 1917

oilPost-Impressionismgenre paintingfiguresfactoryskyfieldbuildingsprotest

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering paint with visible brushstrokes and understanding how to create form with color variations rather than precise lines. It also encourages simplification of complex subjects into basic shapes and color blocks.

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, focusing on the placement of the figures and the factory in the background.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of pale yellow and white, allowing some of the canvas to show through.
step 03
Establish the ground plane with a mix of ochre, pink, and green, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 04
Begin to define the figures with broad strokes of color, focusing on capturing the overall shapes and proportions.
step 05
Add details to the figures, such as clothing and facial features, using smaller brushstrokes and varying the color palette.
step 06
Paint the factory buildings in the background with simple shapes and muted colors.
step 07
Refine the composition by adjusting the colors and values, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
step 08
Add the dark border to frame the painting.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · cadmium red · viridian green · ultramarine blue

Achieve the earthy tones by mixing yellow ochre, raw umber, and small amounts of red and green. The pinks are created by mixing white with a touch of red. Use blue and umber to create the grays for the figures' clothing.

techniques