plate no. 5879
Mont Sainte-Victoire
Paul Cézanne, 1887
experienced study
Students would develop skills in constructive brushwork and color modulation techniques, learning how to build form through color temperature shifts rather than traditional light-dark modeling.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Begin with a light pencil sketch mapping the major geometric shapes of the mountain, rock formations, and tree masses
- step 02
Block in the sky using broad horizontal strokes with cerulean blue and white mixtures
- step 03
Establish the mountain form with cool grays and lavender tones, using directional brushstrokes to suggest planes
- step 04
Paint the middle ground trees with various green mixtures, building form through warm and cool color shifts
- step 05
Develop the foreground rock formations using ochre and orange tones with constructive brushwork
- step 06
Add the vegetation details using small directional strokes that follow natural growth patterns
- step 07
Refine color relationships by adjusting temperature contrasts between warm rocks and cool sky
- step 08
Final pass to strengthen structural lines and enhance the sense of geometric construction
color palette
primary · cerulean blue · yellow ochre · viridian green · titanium white
secondary · cadmium orange · ultramarine blue · raw umber · alizarin crimson
Create warm-cool color shifts by mixing complementary colors; use blue-gray mixtures for mountain shadows and warm ochre-orange for sunlit rock faces
techniques
- ·constructive brushwork following form
- ·color modulation instead of value modeling
- ·directional stroke application
- ·warm-cool temperature shifts
- ·geometric simplification of natural forms
common pitfalls
- →avoiding muddy colors by keeping mixtures clean
- →not making brushstrokes too uniform in direction
- →maintaining color intensity without overworking
- →keeping the geometric structure clear while adding details
materials
surface · primed canvas with medium texture
required
- ·#6 flat bristle brush
- ·#10 flat bristle brush
- ·#2 round brush
- ·cerulean blue oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·viridian green oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·stretched canvas 16x20
optional
- ·palette knife for mixing
- ·#4 filbert brush
- ·turpentine for cleaning
- ·painting medium
Use bristle brushes for the constructive brushwork technique; synthetic brushes may not achieve the desired texture and paint application
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