plate no. 3312

Mountains in Provence. L'Estaque

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapelandscapemountainstreesbuildingsskyhills

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle variations and layering brushstrokes to build form and texture. It also encourages understanding of simplified shapes and forms in landscape painting.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the mountain, buildings, and foreground hills.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin layer of light blue.
step 03
Establish the basic color tones for the mountain, using blues, greens, and yellows.
step 04
Paint the buildings with simplified shapes and colors, focusing on light and shadow.
step 05
Develop the foreground hills using a range of yellows, browns, and greens, applying short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Add the trees and vegetation with varying shades of green, using dabbing and stippling techniques.
step 07
Refine the details and adjust the colors to create depth and harmony.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to enhance the overall impression.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · yellow ochre · sap green · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · cadmium yellow · viridian

Mix greens by combining blues and yellows, and use white to lighten values. Achieve earth tones by blending browns, yellows, and blues. Use small amounts of complementary colors to dull down bright colors.

techniques

·broken color
·layering
·color mixing
·simplified forms
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the simplified forms.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing.
→Failing to create depth through color and value changes.
→Not paying attention to the direction of brushstrokes to suggest form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas (16x20 inches)
·oil paints (ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, sap green, titanium white, burnt sienna)
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (flat and round)
·palette
·linseed oil
·mineral spirits
·rags