plate no. 5654

Fountain in My Garden

Henri Martin, 1904

oilDivisionismlandscapegardenfountainpondtreesflowersstatue

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in pointillism and color mixing to create subtle variations in light and shadow. Students will also learn to simplify complex scenes into smaller brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the fountain, pond, and surrounding garden.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and major tree trunks.
step 03
Block in the main color areas: sky, water, foliage, and stone.
step 04
Begin applying small, individual brushstrokes of color to build up the forms.
step 05
Focus on capturing the light and shadow variations within each area.
step 06
Add details such as flowers, reflections in the water, and texture to the stone.
step 07
Refine the edges and adjust the overall color balance.
step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to create depth.

color palette

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

secondary · cadmium red · sap green · raw sienna

Achieve the greens by mixing yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Create the stone colors by mixing burnt umber, raw sienna, and white. Use small amounts of red and blue to create the flower colors.

techniques

·pointillism
·color mixing
·broken color
·layering
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
→Applying brushstrokes too uniformly, losing the broken color effect.
→Failing to capture the subtle variations in light and shadow.
→Getting lost in the details and losing the overall composition.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas 18x24
·Oil paints (yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, titanium white, cadmium red, sap green, raw sienna)
·Round brushes (#2, #4, #6)
·Palette
·Palette knife
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Linseed oil
·Paper towels