plate no. 4372
The Boulevard de Port-Royal, Paris
Johan Jongkind, 1877
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and capturing the subtle nuances of light and shadow in an urban environment. It's also good practice for rendering textures with visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition, focusing on the perspective of the street and the placement of major elements like buildings and trees.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a thin layer of blue and white, creating soft, blended clouds.
- step 03
Establish the base tones for the buildings, using a mix of gray, white, and a touch of ochre.
- step 04
Paint the trees, using a variety of greens and browns to create depth and texture.
- step 05
Add the road surface, using a mix of grays and browns to suggest the texture of the pavement.
- step 06
Introduce the figures and carriages, keeping them simple and suggestive.
- step 07
Refine the details of the buildings and trees, adding highlights and shadows to create form.
- step 08
Add final touches and adjust values to create a sense of atmospheric perspective.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · raw umber · yellow ochre
secondary · burnt sienna · sap green · ivory black
Achieve the atmospheric grays by mixing white with small amounts of blue, umber, and ochre. Use varying amounts of these colors to create subtle shifts in tone.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·alla prima
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details, resulting in a loss of spontaneity.
- →Failing to establish a clear sense of perspective.
- →Using colors that are too saturated, creating a jarring effect.
- →Ignoring the subtle shifts in value that create atmospheric perspective.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·#4 round brush
- ·#6 flat brush
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas to allow for texture. Consider toning the canvas with a thin wash of raw umber before starting.
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