plate no. 1140

Lac de Charlevoix

Clarence Gagnon, 1921

oilArt Nouveau (Modern)landscapemountainssnowlakehousetreessky

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand color temperature and how to create depth using atmospheric perspective. It also provides practice in capturing the texture of snow with visible brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the mountains, lake, and house, paying attention to proportions.
step 02
Establish the horizon line and the overall composition.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color: the sky, mountains, lake, and snow-covered foreground.
step 04
Begin layering colors in the mountains, using cooler blues and purples for distant areas and warmer tones for closer peaks.
step 05
Add details to the house, including the roof, walls, and windows, using a limited palette of greens, browns, and whites.
step 06
Develop the texture of the snow in the foreground, using short, broken brushstrokes and varying shades of white and gray.
step 07
Add details to the trees and other vegetation, using darker greens and browns.
step 08
Refine the overall composition and adjust colors as needed to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Mix blues and whites for the sky and distant mountains. Use yellow ochre and burnt umber to create the warm tones in the house and foreground. Add alizarin crimson to blues and browns for shadows.

techniques