plate no. 7839

Antibes

Henri-Edmond Cross, 1908

oil, canvasPointillismlandscapeseascapebuildingsmountainssailboatwatersky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand color mixing for pointillism and how to create depth and texture with small, distinct brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and colors.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes: the town, mountains, and water.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the position of the sailboat.
step 03
Block in the main color areas with diluted washes.
step 04
Begin applying small, individual dots of color, starting with the dominant colors in each area.
step 05
Introduce secondary and tertiary colors to create visual interest and depth.
step 06
Pay attention to how colors interact and blend optically when viewed from a distance.
step 07
Refine the details of the sailboat and the town, maintaining the pointillist style.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed to achieve the desired effect.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

secondary · viridian · violet · orange

Mix blues and violets for the water, yellows and oranges for the buildings and land, and reds and blues for the mountains. Use white to lighten colors and create variations in tone.

techniques

·Pointillism
·Optical mixing
·Color layering
·Broken color
·Scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors on the palette, resulting in muddy tones.
→Making the dots too large or too uniform, losing the optical mixing effect.
→Ignoring the underlying structure and composition, leading to a chaotic image.
→Not stepping back frequently to assess the overall effect of the colors.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·Oil paints (ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, viridian, violet, orange, titanium white)
·Small round brushes (sizes 0-2)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Rags