plate no. 7455

Old House near Chartres

Chaim Soutine, 1934

oil, canvasExpressionismlandscapehouselandscapetreesskyfigurehill

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in expressive brushwork and understanding how to use color temperature to create depth and form. It also encourages simplification of complex forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the house, hill, and sky, focusing on proportions.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of burnt umber or a similar earth tone to establish the underpainting.
step 03
Block in the large areas of color: yellow for the house and foreground, green for the hill, and blue for the sky.
step 04
Develop the sky with expressive brushstrokes, blending blues, purples, and whites.
step 05
Add details to the house, such as windows and roof, using thicker paint and visible brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the foreground and hill with variations of green and yellow, adding texture and depth.
step 07
Introduce darker tones to create shadows and define forms.
step 08
Add the figure in the foreground with quick, gestural strokes.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · ultramarine blue · sap green

secondary · burnt sienna · titanium white · purple

Mix greens by combining yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Achieve variations in yellow by adding white or burnt sienna. Create depth in the sky by layering blues and purples.

techniques

·impasto
·broken color
·expressive brushwork
·scumbling
·alla prima

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the expressive quality.
→Creating muddy colors by over-mixing.
→Failing to establish a strong value structure.
→Ignoring the direction of brushstrokes to create form.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

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