
plate no. 7807
James McNeill Whistler, 1897
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in tonal painting, focusing on subtle value shifts and creating atmosphere with a limited color palette. It also provides practice in depicting architectural forms with loose, expressive brushstrokes.
technical profile
approach — 8 steps
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the building, door, and windows, paying attention to proportions.
Establish a base layer of a mid-tone brown across the entire canvas.
Block in the darkest areas (door, shadows under windows) with a darker brown mixture.
Begin adding lighter tones to the walls and window frames, using a slightly lighter brown mixed with white.
Indicate the window panes with subtle variations of green and pink, suggesting reflections.
Add details to the brickwork and architectural elements with short, broken brushstrokes.
Create the wet street effect by adding horizontal strokes of varying browns and grays at the bottom of the canvas.
Soften edges and blend tones to create a hazy, atmospheric effect.
color palette
primary · raw umber · burnt umber · titanium white
secondary · sap green · alizarin crimson
Achieve the various brown tones by mixing raw umber and burnt umber in different ratios with white. Use alizarin crimson and sap green sparingly to create subtle color variations in the windows and reflections.
techniques
common pitfalls
surface · stretched canvas
required
optional
A toned canvas (light brown or gray) can be helpful for establishing the initial tonal values.
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