plate no. 0905

Paysage à l'arbre rond (Landscape with a round tree)

Jean Metzinger, 1906

oilDivisionismlandscapelandscapetreesskyfieldsvegetation

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting helps develop skills in color mixing, applying distinct brushstrokes, and understanding how to build a scene using small blocks of color. It also encourages observation of color variations in nature.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the landscape: the horizon line, the round tree, and general areas for the sky, fields, and vegetation.
step 02
Block in the sky area with a base layer of light yellow, leaving some areas bare for later color variations.
step 03
Start applying individual brushstrokes of color in the sky, using yellows, pinks, and blues to create a mosaic effect.
step 04
Define the round tree with dark greens and blues, using short, distinct strokes.
step 05
Fill in the fields and vegetation areas with greens, yellows, oranges, and reds, varying the colors and stroke directions to suggest texture and depth.
step 06
Add details to the foreground, using darker greens and reds to create a sense of depth.
step 07
Refine the colors and brushstrokes throughout the painting, adjusting values and hues as needed.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to enhance the overall effect.

color palette

primary · yellow · green · blue · red

secondary · pink · orange · dark green

Achieve the various greens by mixing blues and yellows. Create pinks by mixing red and white. Vary the intensity of colors by adding small amounts of complementary colors.

techniques

·pointillism
·divisionism
·color mixing
·broken color
·short brushstrokes

common pitfalls

→Over-blending the colors, which will lose the mosaic effect.
→Using too few colors, resulting in a flat and uninteresting painting.
→Ignoring the direction of the brushstrokes, which can affect the overall composition.
→Not varying the size and shape of the brushstrokes.