plate no. 3800

Landscape from beyond the River

Maurice de Vlaminck, 1920

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapetreeswatervillageskybuildingslandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, and in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and forms. It's a good exercise in capturing the essence of a landscape rather than precise detail.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition, focusing on the placement of the trees, water, and village.
step 02
Block in the sky with light blues and whites, using loose brushstrokes.
step 03
Establish the dark masses of the trees with dark greens and browns.
step 04
Paint the water with horizontal strokes, varying the blues, greens, and whites to suggest reflections.
step 05
Add the village in the background, simplifying the shapes of the buildings and using warm colors for the roofs.
step 06
Refine the details of the trees, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
step 07
Add small touches of color to the water to represent reflections of the village.
step 08
Review and adjust the values and colors to create a sense of harmony.

color palette

primary · viridian green · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · titanium white

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red · raw sienna

Mix greens by combining blues and yellows, and use white to lighten values. Achieve the warm tones of the buildings by mixing reds, yellows, and browns.

techniques

·broken color
·alla prima
·scumbling
·layering
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the spontaneity of the brushstrokes.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing on the palette.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Ignoring the reflections in the water.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 12x16
·oil paints (viridian green, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (flat and round)
·linseed oil
·odorless mineral spirits
·rags