plate no. 8775

Fig Trees, Antibes

Guy Rose, 1910

oil, canvasImpressionismlandscapetreesmountainswaterlandscapebuildingssky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, as well as capturing the impressionistic style through visible brushstrokes and broken color.

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 placement of the trees, mountains, and buildings.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: sky, water, mountains, and foreground.
step 03
Layer in the colors of the mountains, using blues, purples, and whites to create depth.
step 04
Paint the buildings with warm yellows and oranges, adding shadows for dimension.
step 05
Add the trees, starting with the trunks and branches, then layering in the leaves with short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Develop the foreground with a mix of yellows, oranges, and browns, using visible brushstrokes to create texture.
step 07
Refine the details, such as the highlights on the water and the snow on the mountains.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed to achieve the desired effect.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · titanium white · burnt sienna

secondary · alizarin crimson · cadmium yellow light · violet

Mix blues and whites for the sky and water, yellows and browns for the foreground, and purples and blues for the mountains. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques

·broken color
·layering
·dry brush
·scumbling
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, which can flatten the image.
→Not capturing the impressionistic style with visible brushstrokes.
→Failing to create depth in the mountains and foreground.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, titanium white, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow light, violet)
·assorted brushes (round, flat, filbert)
·palette
·palette knife
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·rags