plate no. 7598

Harfleur

Raoul Dufy, 1903

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismcityscapebuildingswatercityscapearchitecturereflectionbridge

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing reflections in water and using broken color to create texture and form. It also provides practice in simplifying complex architectural details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the buildings, the church spire, and the bridge.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color, focusing on the overall values and relationships.
step 03
Start with the sky and water, establishing the general mood and color harmony.
step 04
Add the darker values to define the shadows and create depth in the buildings.
step 05
Begin building up the texture and details of the buildings using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Carefully paint the reflections in the water, paying attention to the distortion and color variations.
step 07
Add the final details, such as the windows, doors, and foliage.
step 08
Refine the edges and adjust the colors as needed to create a cohesive and harmonious painting.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna

secondary · violet · white · cadmium yellow

Mix various shades of blue and violet for the water and sky. Use yellow ochre and burnt sienna for the buildings, adding white to lighten the tones and violet to create shadows.

techniques