plate no. 6892
July 14th at Havre
Albert Marquet, 1906
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in simplifying complex scenes and capturing the essence of light and atmosphere with expressive brushstrokes. It also encourages exploration of color mixing to achieve nuanced grays and muted tones.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, flags, and figures, focusing on proportions and perspective.
- step 02
Block in the large areas of color, starting with the sky and the buildings' general tones.
- step 03
Add the darker values to define the shadows and architectural details.
- step 04
Paint the flags, paying attention to their shapes and the way they hang.
- step 05
Introduce the figures and other details in the foreground.
- step 06
Refine the colors and values, blending where necessary to create a sense of atmosphere.
- step 07
Add final details and highlights to bring the painting to life.
- step 08
Step back and adjust the composition as needed.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black · cadmium red
Mix various combinations of blue, sienna, and white to create the grays and blues of the buildings and sky. Use red and sienna for the flags. Add small amounts of yellow ochre to warm the grays.
techniques
- ·broken color
- ·alla prima
- ·scumbling
- ·simplified forms
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the spontaneity of the brushstrokes.
- →Creating colors that are too bright or saturated.
- →Failing to establish a clear sense of perspective.
- →Getting bogged down in details of the flags.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 12x16
- ·oil paints
- ·round brushes (#4, #6, #8)
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
- ·palette knife
- ·odorless mineral spirits
- ·rags
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·view finder
Use a medium-tooth canvas to allow for expressive brushwork. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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