plate no. 8545

Lighthouse at St. Malo

Maurice Prendergast, 1907

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismgenre paintinglighthouseboatswaterfiguresskycityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in broken color techniques and capturing light and atmosphere with short, distinct brushstrokes. It also provides practice in simplifying complex scenes into essential shapes and colors.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the lighthouse pier, the distant landmass, and the foreground figures.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color for the sky, water, and land using thin washes.
step 03
Begin applying short, broken brushstrokes of color to build up the texture and form of the water and land.
step 04
Add details to the lighthouse and boats, focusing on capturing their shapes with color rather than precise lines.
step 05
Develop the foreground figures with small dabs of color, suggesting their forms and clothing.
step 06
Refine the color relationships throughout the painting, adjusting values and hues to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.
step 07
Add final details such as flags and highlights to enhance the overall impression.
step 08
Allow to dry and add a varnish layer for protection.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · yellow ochre · burnt umber

secondary · cadmium red · titanium white · viridian green

Mix greens by blending cerulean blue and yellow ochre. Achieve variations in the water by adding white, burnt umber, or small amounts of red to the blue-green base. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights.

techniques

·broken color
·pointillism
·scumbling
·color layering
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overblending colors, which will result in a muddy appearance.
→Focusing too much on details and losing the overall impressionistic effect.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing, which can create a flat and uninteresting palette.
→Ignoring the importance of value relationships in creating depth and form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 12x16
·oil paints (cerulean blue, yellow ochre, burnt umber, cadmium red, titanium white, viridian green)
·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·palette
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·palette knife
·rags