plate no. 4582

Landscape in Mâcon

Hippolyte Petitjean, 1914

watercolorPointillismlandscapelandscapetreesskyfieldvegetationhorizon

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand color mixing and optical blending through pointillism. It will also develop patience and precision in applying small brushstrokes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic composition: horizon line, tree placements, and major shapes.
step 02
Establish the base color for the sky with diluted washes, focusing on the overall warm tone.
step 03
Begin applying small dots of color in the sky, varying hues of yellow, orange, and blue.
step 04
Move to the trees, building up layers of dots to create volume and texture.
step 05
Paint the field with a mix of greens, yellows, and browns, using smaller dots closer to the horizon.
step 06
Add details to the tree trunks and branches, using darker reds and browns.
step 07
Refine the color variations and dot density to achieve the desired optical blending.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna

secondary · sap green · cadmium yellow · alizarin crimson

Mix greens from blue and yellow, browns from red, yellow, and blue. Use white sparingly to lighten colors, focusing on layering dots of different values.

techniques