plate no. 8164

Banks of the Orne at Benouville

Francis Picabia, 1908

oil, canvasImpressionismlandscapetreesriverskyboatslandscapefoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in impressionistic brushwork and color mixing to create a sense of light and atmosphere. 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 composition, focusing on the placement of the trees, river, and horizon line.
step 02
Establish the sky with light blues and whites, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 03
Block in the distant trees with muted greens and blues, suggesting their form with dabs of color.
step 04
Paint the river using horizontal strokes of greens, blues, and whites to capture the reflections and movement of the water.
step 05
Develop the foreground trees with darker greens, blues, and browns, adding highlights of yellow and light green to create depth.
step 06
Add details to the foreground, such as the path and shoreline, using a variety of brushstrokes and colors.
step 07
Paint the boats in the river with small strokes of white and brown.
step 08
Refine the overall painting, adjusting colors and values as needed to create a harmonious and atmospheric effect.

color palette

primary · Prussian Blue · Cadmium Yellow · Titanium White · Viridian Green

secondary · Burnt Sienna · Ultramarine Blue · Yellow Ochre

Achieve the various greens by mixing Prussian Blue and Cadmium Yellow. Use Titanium White to lighten colors and create highlights. Mix Burnt Sienna with blues to create muted browns and grays for the tree trunks and shadows.

techniques