plate no. 5740

Breton Landscape

Alexandre Benois, 1906

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapelandscapebuildingspathhillsskystone wall

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective, color mixing for natural light, and creating texture with visible brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: buildings, path, hills, and sky.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the basic perspective of the path.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color: sky, hills, path, and buildings, using thin washes.
step 04
Begin layering colors to create depth and form in the hills and buildings.
step 05
Add details to the stone wall, using short, broken brushstrokes to suggest texture.
step 06
Refine the path, adding shadows and highlights to create a sense of depth.
step 07
Add final details to the buildings and landscape, paying attention to light and shadow.
step 08
Glaze with thin layers of color to unify the painting and adjust values.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · sap green · ultramarine blue

secondary · burnt umber · raw sienna · cadmium yellow light

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Create earth tones by mixing burnt umber with yellow ochre and white. Achieve atmospheric perspective by lightening and cooling colors as they recede into the distance.

techniques