plate no. 7944

View from My Balcony, Hansteensgate 2

Harriet Backer, 1915

oil, canvasImpressionismcityscapebuildingstreesskycityscapebalconystreet

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve muted tones and layering brushstrokes to create texture and depth. It also encourages simplification of forms and capturing the overall impression of a scene.

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 of the buildings, trees, and horizon line.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of muted colors, blending the tones softly.
step 03
Establish the basic color and value of the buildings, using a limited palette of earth tones.
step 04
Add the darker greens of the trees, focusing on capturing their overall shape rather than individual leaves.
step 05
Paint the street and foreground with a neutral color, suggesting the texture and direction of the road.
step 06
Refine the details of the buildings, adding windows and architectural elements with simple brushstrokes.
step 07
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension in the trees and buildings.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the colors and values to achieve a harmonious composition.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · viridian · titanium white

secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna

Mix yellow ochre and raw umber with white for the buildings. Use viridian and ultramarine blue for the greens, muted with raw umber. Burnt sienna can be used to warm up the earth tones.

techniques

·alla prima
·broken color
·scumbling
·color mixing
·layering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impression.
→Using colors that are too bright or saturated.
→Failing to establish a clear value structure.
→Not simplifying the forms enough.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 12x16
·Oil paints: yellow ochre, raw umber, viridian, titanium white, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Assorted brushes (flat and round)
·Rags