plate no. 1495
Falaise De Mer Près Du Tréport
suitable for beginners
This painting is great for practicing loose brushwork and capturing the essence of a scene rather than precise details. Recreating it will help students understand color mixing for atmospheric perspective and how to suggest forms with minimal detail.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: cliffs, sea, beach, and pier.
- step 02
Block in the sky with light blues and whites, blending softly.
- step 03
Establish the horizon line and the general color of the sea with greens and blues.
- step 04
Paint the cliffs using a mix of creams, browns, and greens, focusing on the light and shadow.
- step 05
Add the pier with dark browns and grays, using vertical strokes to suggest the posts.
- step 06
Indicate the figures on the beach with quick, loose strokes of various colors.
- step 07
Add details to the buildings with light and dark values.
- step 08
Refine the overall composition with small adjustments to color and value.
color palette
primary · titanium white · cerulean blue · yellow ochre · raw umber
secondary · cadmium red light · viridian green
Mix greens by combining blue and yellow. Use white to create lighter tints for the sky and highlights. Browns are achieved by mixing umber with other colors.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·alla prima
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·gestural brushstrokes
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
- →Making the colors too saturated and not capturing the atmospheric haze.
- →Creating hard edges instead of soft transitions.
- →Failing to establish a clear value structure.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cerulean blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·raw umber oil paint
- ·round brushes sizes 2, 6, 8
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
Use a medium-textured canvas to enhance the brushstrokes. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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