plate no. 2332
La raffinerie de pétrole
Gustave Buchet, 1961
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students understand how to simplify complex scenes into basic geometric forms and use a limited palette to create a cohesive composition. It also provides practice in creating subtle value shifts to suggest form and depth.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and arrangement of the buildings and tanks, focusing on their relative sizes and positions.
- step 02
Establish the darkest values in the background and shadowed areas of the structures using a dark blue or gray.
- step 03
Block in the main colors of the buildings and tanks, using a limited palette of white, gray, red, and blue.
- step 04
Begin to add highlights and shadows to the cylindrical forms to create a sense of depth and volume.
- step 05
Mix subtle variations of the main colors to create a sense of atmosphere and visual interest.
- step 06
Add details such as windows and pipes, keeping them simple and geometric.
- step 07
Refine the edges of the shapes, softening some and sharpening others to create visual interest.
- step 08
Add final touches and highlights to complete the painting.
color palette
primary · titanium white · ultramarine blue · cadmium red light
secondary · raw umber · yellow ochre
Mix grays by combining white and blue with a touch of umber. Achieve the red-orange hues by mixing red with a small amount of yellow ochre. Use white to create highlights and lighten the blues and reds.
techniques
- ·blocking in
- ·value studies
- ·color mixing
- ·geometric abstraction
- ·blending
common pitfalls
- →Overcomplicating the shapes and adding too much detail.
- →Using too many colors and creating a disjointed composition.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Making the forms too symmetrical and lacking visual interest.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·acrylic or oil paints
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
- ·palette
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
- ·mineral spirits or turpentine (for cleaning brushes)
optional
- ·painting medium
- ·easel
- ·apron
A medium-textured canvas will work well for this painting. Consider using a limited palette of colors to simplify the mixing process.
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