plate no. 5252

Landscape at Ferte Soud Jouarre

Roger de La Fresnaye, 1911

oil, canvasCubismlandscapevillagehouseslandscapehillsskywater

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand simplified forms and how to create depth using value and color temperature. It also provides practice in mixing muted tones and applying paint in distinct, visible strokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the hills, houses, and water, focusing on their relative positions.
step 02
Block in the darkest values first, using a mix of dark blues, browns, and grays for the hills and foreground.
step 03
Add the lighter values to the houses, using white mixed with a touch of gray or yellow.
step 04
Paint the red roofs, mixing a warm red with a touch of brown to tone it down.
step 05
Create the sky with muted blues and grays, blending slightly to suggest clouds.
step 06
Add the orange-brown area in the foreground, varying the tone slightly to create depth.
step 07
Refine the shapes of the houses and hills, adding details like the shadows on the buildings.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and colors to create a sense of harmony and depth.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white · cadmium red

secondary · yellow ochre · ivory black

Mix white with small amounts of blue, brown, or yellow to create the various shades of gray and off-white. Use burnt umber and ultramarine blue to create a range of dark grays and blacks. Add a touch of yellow ochre to the browns for warmth.

techniques