plate no. 9115

Balchik Cliffs

Vasile Popescu, 1920

oilImpressionismlandscapecliffsseaskylandscapetrees

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve natural earth tones and practice layering brushstrokes to create texture and form.

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 cliffs, sea, and sky, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Block in the sky with light blue, adding horizontal strokes for clouds.
step 03
Establish the base color of the cliffs with a mix of orange, brown, and yellow.
step 04
Add shadows and highlights to the cliffs to define their form, using darker browns and lighter yellows.
step 05
Paint the sea with varying shades of blue and green, using horizontal strokes to suggest movement.
step 06
Add details to the foreground beach area, blending colors to create a sandy texture.
step 07
Refine the details of the cliffs, adding cracks and crevices with a thin brush.
step 08
Add the small trees on top of the cliffs with dark brown and green.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · ultramarine blue

secondary · titanium white · raw umber · cadmium orange

Mix burnt sienna and ultramarine blue for darker browns; add yellow ochre to burnt sienna for lighter earth tones; use titanium white to lighten blues for the sky.

techniques