plate no. 1775

Boats at Saint Tropez

Nicolae Darascu, 1913

oilPost-Impressionismcityscapeboatswaterbuildingscityscapeskyharbor

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing and applying broken color techniques to create vibrant and luminous effects. It also provides practice in depicting reflections and architectural forms with loose, expressive brushstrokes.

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 boats, buildings, and horizon line.
step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted yellow and pink to the building areas.
step 03
Add the sky with a diluted blue wash, leaving some areas white for clouds.
step 04
Paint the water with horizontal strokes of blue, green, yellow, and pink, creating reflections.
step 05
Define the boats with darker shades of green and blue, adding details like masts and sails.
step 06
Use short, broken strokes of various colors to add texture and detail to the buildings and boats.
step 07
Add small details like windows and shadows with darker colors.
step 08
Review and adjust colors and values as needed to achieve the desired effect.

color palette

primary · yellow · blue · pink · green

secondary · red · purple · white

Mix various shades of green by combining blue and yellow. Achieve pink by diluting red with white. Use layering and glazing to create depth and luminosity.

techniques