plate no. 6415

The landscape. Coast of France.

Pyotr Konchalovsky, 1908

oilExpressionismcityscapebuildingtreesstreetlamp postskycityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and understanding how to capture light and shadow using color variations. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and forms.

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: the building, trees, and lamp post.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color for the sky, building, and ground using thin washes.
step 03
Start building up layers of paint, focusing on the light and shadow on the building.
step 04
Add details to the trees, using short, broken brushstrokes to create texture.
step 05
Paint the lamp post, paying attention to its cylindrical form and the light reflecting off it.
step 06
Refine the details of the street and surrounding elements.
step 07
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Review and adjust the overall composition and color balance.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · titanium white

secondary · sap green · cadmium red · raw umber

Mix various shades of yellow ochre with white and small amounts of burnt sienna to achieve the building's sunlit appearance. Use ultramarine blue and white for the sky, adding touches of raw umber for the darker areas. Create greens by mixing ultramarine blue and yellow ochre.

techniques

·broken color
·impasto
·scumbling
·color layering
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Using too much detail and not simplifying the forms.
→Not paying attention to the light and shadow, resulting in a flat image.
→Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·acrylic or oil paints
·round brushes
·flat brushes
·palette
·palette knife
·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
·mineral spirits or turpentine (for cleaning brushes)

optional

·painting medium
·easel
·rags

Use a medium-textured canvas to enhance the brushstroke visibility. Oil paints are recommended for achieving the rich colors and textures, but acrylics can be used as a faster-drying alternative.

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