plate no. 7127

Antibes, thunderstorms

Paul Signac, 1919

oil, canvasPointillismlandscapewaterbuildingsskymountainscityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing and applying pointillist brushstrokes to create a cohesive image. It also provides practice in observing subtle color variations in nature.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the mountains, buildings, and shoreline.
step 02
Divide the canvas into sections for the sky, mountains, city, and water.
step 03
Begin with the sky, applying small, individual brushstrokes of varying blues and whites.
step 04
Move to the mountains, using darker blues and greens, still applying individual strokes.
step 05
Paint the buildings with whites, yellows, and touches of pink and orange, reflecting light.
step 06
Create the water with blues, greens, and hints of yellow, varying the stroke direction to suggest movement.
step 07
Add reflections of the buildings in the water using similar colors and vertical strokes.
step 08
Refine details and adjust colors as needed to achieve the overall effect.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · cerulean blue · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · viridian green · cadmium red

Mix blues and white for the sky and mountains, adding small amounts of yellow or red to create subtle variations. Use yellow ochre and red for warm highlights on the buildings. Mix blues and greens for the water, adding white to lighten the tones.

techniques