plate no. 3285

The Carmagnole (Dance Around the Guillotine)

Kathe Kollwitz, 1901

oilExpressionismgenre paintingfiguresbuildingscrowdstreetdrummerdance

experienced study

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering complex scenes with limited color palettes and creating dynamic compositions with many figures. It will also improve their understanding of value and texture using hatching and cross-hatching techniques.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch to establish the overall composition and placement of the buildings and figures.
step 02
Focus on the main shapes and proportions of the buildings and figures, simplifying the details.
step 03
Start adding darker values to define the shadows and create depth in the buildings and figures.
step 04
Use hatching and cross-hatching techniques to build up the values and create texture.
step 05
Pay attention to the direction of the lines to convey form and movement.
step 06
Gradually add more detail to the figures and buildings, focusing on the key features.
step 07
Refine the values and textures to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to complete the painting.