plate no. 1657
Antibes
Paul Signac, 1917
suitable for beginners
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in watercolor washes, layering, and capturing reflections. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and colors.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: boats, buildings, and lighthouse.
- step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted yellow and pink to the sky and water.
- step 03
Add the basic colors to the buildings and boats, keeping the washes transparent.
- step 04
Layer in darker values to define the shapes and create shadows.
- step 05
Use short, broken strokes to represent reflections in the water.
- step 06
Add details to the boats and buildings with a fine brush.
- step 07
Outline the major shapes with a thin black pen or diluted ink.
- step 08
Add final touches and highlights.
color palette
primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · rose madder
secondary · sap green · burnt sienna · violet
Mix light washes by adding plenty of water to the pigments. Create muted tones by mixing complementary colors.
techniques
- ·watercolor washes
- ·layering
- ·dry brush
- ·color mixing
- ·pen and ink outlining
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the washes and losing transparency.
- →Making the colors too saturated.
- →Not simplifying the shapes enough.
- →Using too much detail too early.
materials
surface · watercolor paper 90lb
required
- ·watercolor paints
- ·watercolor paper 90lb
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 6, 10)
- ·water container
- ·palette
- ·pencil
- ·eraser
- ·ruler
optional
- ·masking fluid
- ·palette knife
- ·black fine liner pen
Use good quality watercolor paper to prevent buckling. Experiment with different brush sizes to achieve various effects.
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