plate no. 9566

The Spanish Courtyard

Ethel Carrick, 1907

oilImpressionismgenre paintingcourtyardfiguresbuildingstreeschildrencat

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and capturing light and shadow to define forms. It also provides practice in depicting figures in a scene with loose, impressionistic brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and composition, focusing on the placement of buildings, figures, and the tree.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the sky and the general tones of the buildings and ground.
step 03
Establish the light and shadow patterns on the buildings and figures using darker and lighter values of your base colors.
step 04
Add details to the figures, such as clothing and facial features, using small, deliberate brushstrokes.
step 05
Paint the foliage of the tree and the plants on the ground, using a variety of greens and browns to create texture and depth.
step 06
Refine the details of the courtyard, including the tiles, walls, and any other architectural elements.
step 07
Add the figures in the background, keeping them simple and less detailed than the figures in the foreground.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the sense of light and atmosphere.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red · sap green · ivory black

Mix white with small amounts of yellow ochre and burnt umber to create the warm tones of the buildings. Use ultramarine blue and burnt umber to create shadows. Mix sap green with yellow ochre and a touch of blue for the foliage.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·layering
·impressionistic brushwork

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the impressionistic feel.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing.
→Not establishing a clear light source and shadow pattern.
→Making the figures too stiff and unnatural.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·titanium white oil paint
·yellow ochre oil paint
·burnt umber oil paint
·ultramarine blue oil paint
·#4 round brush
·#8 flat brush
·palette

optional

·palette knife
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·easel

Use a medium-textured canvas to allow for better paint adhesion and brushstroke visibility. Consider using a limited palette to simplify the color mixing process.

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