plate no. 5711

Landscape at Cassis

Samuel Peploe, 1924

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapetreeslandscapebuildingfoliageskyvegetation

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in blocking in shapes with bold brushstrokes and understanding how to mix greens and browns to create depth and shadow. It also encourages simplification of complex scenes into basic forms.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the tree trunks, the building, and the general areas of foliage.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin wash of blue.
step 03
Establish the darkest areas of the tree trunks and shadows under the foliage with dark brown.
step 04
Mix various shades of green and yellow and block in the foliage, paying attention to the light and shadow.
step 05
Add the orange roof of the building and the surrounding white walls.
step 06
Develop the foreground with browns and yellows, creating the impression of earth and vegetation.
step 07
Refine the shapes and colors, adding details and highlights where necessary.
step 08
Add final touches to the tree trunks and branches, defining their forms.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · sap green · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · cerulean blue · cadmium orange · raw sienna

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and sap green with varying amounts of white for highlights and burnt umber for shadows. Browns are achieved by mixing burnt umber with yellow ochre and a touch of orange.

techniques

·blocking in
·broken color
·impasto
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the painting and losing the freshness of the brushstrokes.
→Making the colors too uniform and not capturing the variations in light and shadow.
→Getting bogged down in details too early.
→Not simplifying the forms enough.