plate no. 3457

Low tide, Roundstone

oilImpressionismlandscapeboatswaterbuildingsskytreeslandscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering paint to create depth and using broken color to represent textures. It also provides practice in capturing reflections in water and simplifying complex scenes.

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 boats, buildings, and horizon line.
step 02
Establish the sky with light blue and white, blending softly.
step 03
Block in the large shapes of the buildings with muted colors, paying attention to their relative values.
step 04
Paint the water with horizontal strokes, using blues, browns, and grays to suggest reflections.
step 05
Add the boats, starting with the dark underpainting and then layering lighter colors for highlights.
step 06
Paint the foliage with short, broken strokes of green and brown.
step 07
Refine the details of the buildings and boats, adding small highlights and shadows.
step 08
Add final touches to the reflections in the water.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber · yellow ochre

secondary · cadmium red · sap green

Mix various shades of blue and gray for the sky and water. Use burnt umber and yellow ochre to create the earthy tones for the land and boats. Add small amounts of cadmium red to warm up the browns.

techniques