plate no. 2669

Eglise Saint Gervais

Maurice Boitel, 1950

oilImpressionismcityscapechurchtreeswaterboatbuildingssky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering washes and capturing the essence of a scene with simplified shapes and colors. It also provides practice in creating depth through color and value variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the church, buildings, trees, and boat.
step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted blue/gray for the sky.
step 03
Paint the basic shapes of the church and buildings with diluted washes of yellow, blue, and orange.
step 04
Add the green washes for the trees, varying the shades to create depth.
step 05
Paint the boat with black, gray, and touches of yellow.
step 06
Add details like windows, the flag, and the chimney smoke.
step 07
Refine the shapes and values, adding darker tones where needed.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to create interest.

color palette

primary · yellow · blue · green

secondary · orange · red · gray

Mix greens by combining blues and yellows. Create grays by mixing complementary colors (e.g., blue and orange). Dilute colors with water to create transparent washes.

techniques

·wet-on-wet blending
·layering washes
·color mixing
·simplified shapes
·Impressionistic brushstrokes

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing and diluting them.
→Making the values too uniform, resulting in a flat image.
→Not allowing washes to dry completely before adding subsequent layers.

materials

surface · watercolor paper 140lb

required

·Watercolor paints (yellow, blue, green, orange, red, black)
·Watercolor paper (140lb or heavier)
·Round watercolor brushes (various sizes)
·Palette for mixing paints
·Water container
·Paper towels
·Pencil
·Eraser

optional

·Masking fluid
·Palette knife
·Watercolor pencils

Use good quality watercolor paper to prevent buckling and allow for better blending. Experiment with different brush sizes to achieve various effects.

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