plate no. 3562
Lighthouse of Marseille
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and color mixing to create a sense of depth and distance. It also provides practice in capturing the texture of water and rocks with visible brushstrokes.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic composition, including the horizon line, lighthouse, boats, and rocks.
- step 02
Block in the sky with light gray and white, creating soft cloud shapes.
- step 03
Establish the base color of the sea with a mix of blue, green, and white, varying the tones to suggest depth.
- step 04
Paint the distant landmass with muted colors, using lighter values to indicate distance.
- step 05
Add the lighthouse with white and subtle gray shadows.
- step 06
Paint the boats, paying attention to their reflections in the water.
- step 07
Add the rocks in the foreground with dark browns and grays, using textured brushstrokes.
- step 08
Refine details and add highlights to create a sense of realism.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber
secondary · cadmium red · yellow ochre · payne's gray
Mix blue and white for the sky and sea, adding small amounts of umber to create muted tones. Use red and umber for the boat sails, and mix umber and white for the lighthouse.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·dry brush texture
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·broken color
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
- →Making the brushstrokes too uniform and lacking texture.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the water and sky.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·cadmium red oil paint
- ·round brushes
- ·flat brushes
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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