plate no. 0182

Dune near Nordwijk with Child

Max Liebermann, 1906

oil, panelImpressionismlandscapeduneschildbeachseaskygrass

suitable for beginners

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in impressionistic brushwork, color mixing for natural light, and creating depth through atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the horizon line, the dune's slope, and the figure's placement.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of pale gray and beige, blending the colors softly.
step 03
Establish the main areas of the beach and sea with diluted washes of yellow ochre, raw umber, and white.
step 04
Start building up the dune with broad strokes of green, brown, and yellow, varying the color intensity to suggest form and texture.
step 05
Add the figure with simple shapes, using white and pink for the dress, and dark accents for the shoes.
step 06
Refine the details of the grass and sand with short, broken brushstrokes, adding highlights and shadows.
step 07
Indicate the waves and boats in the distance with small, gestural marks.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to the figure and foreground, ensuring the overall harmony of the painting.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · raw umber · titanium white · sap green

secondary · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson · ultramarine blue

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre, sap green, and a touch of ultramarine blue. Achieve the sandy tones by blending yellow ochre, raw umber, and white. Use alizarin crimson and white for the pink hues in the figure's dress.

techniques

·broken brushstrokes
·scumbling
·wet-on-dry layering
·atmospheric perspective
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the impressionistic feel.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
→Failing to establish a clear value structure.
→Making the figure too detailed and distracting from the overall scene.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (12x16 inches)
·oil paints (yellow ochre, raw umber, titanium white, sap green, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue)
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·linseed oil
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags