plate no. 5978

Workers on Their Way Home

Edvard Munch, 1915

oil, canvasExpressionismsketch and studyfiguresworkersstreetbuildingscrowdhats

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and capturing figures in motion with a limited color palette. It also encourages simplification of details and focusing on the overall mood.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement and proportions of the figures.
step 02
Establish the background with a thin wash of muted colors, suggesting the buildings and sky.
step 03
Block in the main figures with dark tones, paying attention to their general shapes and postures.
step 04
Add highlights to the figures to create depth and dimension, using thicker paint and visible brushstrokes.
step 05
Define the facial features and clothing details with quick, expressive strokes.
step 06
Use a dry brush technique to add texture to the ground and create a sense of movement.
step 07
Refine the overall composition by adjusting the values and colors as needed.
step 08
Add final touches and details to enhance the expressive quality of the painting.

color palette

primary · Prussian Blue · Burnt Umber · Titanium White

secondary · Yellow Ochre · Cadmium Red

Mix Prussian Blue and Burnt Umber to create the dark tones for the figures. Use Titanium White to lighten these tones and create highlights. Add small amounts of Yellow Ochre and Cadmium Red to warm up the colors and add subtle variations.

techniques

·Impasto
·Dry brush
·Scumbling
·Limited palette
·Expressive brushwork

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the painting.
→Creating muddy colors by overmixing.
→Failing to capture the movement and energy of the scene.
→Not simplifying the forms enough.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 18x24
·Oil paints: Prussian Blue, Burnt Umber, Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red
·Assorted brushes (flat and round)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Rags