plate no. 8117

Breton House

Edouard Vuillard, 1909

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapehouselandscapevegetationfigurebuildingsgarden

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, as well as simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values. It also encourages expressive brushwork and capturing the overall mood rather than precise details.

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 house, surrounding structures, and landscape elements.
step 02
Establish the overall color scheme by applying a thin wash of muted yellows and greens as an underpainting.
step 03
Begin layering in darker values to define the forms of the buildings and create shadows.
step 04
Add brighter yellows and greens to the foreground to represent the vegetation, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 05
Introduce blues and purples to the roofs and windows to add depth and contrast.
step 06
Develop the details of the figures and laundry line with small, deliberate strokes.
step 07
Refine the overall composition by adjusting values and colors to create a sense of harmony.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to enhance the texture and visual interest.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · sap green · ultramarine blue

secondary · burnt sienna · titanium white · alizarin crimson

Mix yellow ochre with small amounts of blue and green to create muted earth tones. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights. Mix red and white for the laundry line.

techniques

·broken color
·layering
·dry brushing
·scumbling
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality of the brushstrokes.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing on the palette.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure before adding color.
→Ignoring the overall harmony of the color scheme.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (yellow ochre, sap green, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, titanium white, alizarin crimson)
·palette
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife