plate no. 5906

Fecamp

Gustave Loiseau, 1920

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapeseabuildingscliffsvegetationskylandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, and in capturing the atmospheric perspective of a coastal landscape. It also provides practice in rendering foliage with loose, expressive brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, including the horizon line, the cliff, the buildings, and the foreground vegetation.
step 02
Establish the sky and sea with broad, horizontal strokes, mixing blues, grays, and whites.
step 03
Block in the large shapes of the cliff and the buildings with their respective local colors.
step 04
Add details to the cliff face, using a variety of greens, browns, and yellows to suggest texture and form.
step 05
Paint the buildings, paying attention to the light and shadow on their surfaces.
step 06
Develop the foreground vegetation with loose, gestural brushstrokes, using a range of greens and yellows.
step 07
Refine the details and add highlights to create a sense of depth and realism.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed to achieve a harmonious overall effect.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt sienna · viridian green · raw umber

Mix blues and whites for the sky and sea, adding a touch of yellow ochre for warmth. Use burnt sienna and raw umber to create earth tones for the cliffs and buildings. Mix greens with blues and yellows for the vegetation.

techniques