plate no. 7844

Three Houses

Robert Spencer, 1911

oilImpressionismcityscapebuildingshousesfigureswatercityscapearchitecture

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in depicting architectural forms with loose brushwork and creating a sense of atmosphere through subtle color variations. It also provides practice in painting figures within a landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the houses and their relative positions.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the waterline.
step 03
Block in the main color masses for the buildings, water, and sky.
step 04
Add details to the houses, such as windows, doors, and rooflines.
step 05
Paint the figures, paying attention to their proportions and placement.
step 06
Refine the details of the water and reflections.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Adjust colors and values as needed to achieve a cohesive composition.

color palette

primary · raw umber · yellow ochre · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue · cadmium yellow

Mix raw umber and yellow ochre with white to create the muted tones of the buildings. Use burnt sienna and ultramarine blue to create darker browns and grays for shadows. Add small amounts of cadmium yellow to warm up the greens and browns.

techniques

·broken color
·scumbling
·dry brushing
·atmospheric perspective
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
→Creating colors that are too saturated or bright.
→Failing to establish a clear sense of depth and perspective.
→Making the figures too stiff or unnatural.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (18x24 inches)
·oil paints (raw umber, yellow ochre, titanium white, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·rags