plate no. 2868

Green Sea, Iona

Samuel Peploe, 1920

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapeseamountainsrockssnowlandscapesky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand color temperature and how to use visible brushstrokes to define form. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the mountains, sea, and foreground rocks.
step 02
Block in the sky with light blue, leaving some white for clouds.
step 03
Paint the distant mountains with a muted blue-purple.
step 04
Add the base color for the sea, a mix of blues and greens.
step 05
Begin building up the foreground rocks with white, blue, and gray, using short, choppy brushstrokes.
step 06
Add darker accents to the rocks with browns and blues to create shadows and depth.
step 07
Refine the details of the sea, adding highlights and variations in color.
step 08
Add final touches to the rocks and snow, paying attention to the direction of light.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · violet

Mix white with small amounts of blue and violet to create the cool tones in the snow. Use raw umber and burnt sienna for the darker rocks, and mix blue and yellow for the sea.

techniques