plate no. 3989
Mall of Aigues-Mortes
Frederic Bazille, 1867
suitable for beginners
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing for water and sky, and understanding atmospheric perspective. It's a good exercise in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and values.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes: horizon line, the wall, and the water's edge.
- step 02
Block in the sky with a light blue wash, adding hints of white for clouds.
- step 03
Lay in the base color for the water, a mix of green, blue, and white.
- step 04
Establish the main color of the wall, a light yellow-ochre.
- step 05
Add darker tones to the wall to create shadows and define the structure.
- step 06
Paint the boats and other details, paying attention to their reflections in the water.
- step 07
Refine the water with horizontal brushstrokes to suggest movement.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to the sky, wall, and water.
color palette
primary · cerulean blue · yellow ochre · titanium white
secondary · burnt umber · viridian green
Mix the water color by blending cerulean blue, viridian green, and white. Create the wall color by mixing yellow ochre with a touch of burnt umber and white for highlights.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·broken color
- ·scumbling
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early.
- →Making the water too uniform in color.
- →Ignoring the subtle color variations in the sky.
- →Failing to create a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·cerulean blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·round brushes
- ·flat brushes
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·linseed oil
- ·painting medium
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a glazing medium to enhance the luminosity of the colors.
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