plate no. 1109

Petit Dalles at Normandy

Gustave Loiseau, 1908

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapebeachcliffsseaskyfigureswaves

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, as well as capturing the subtle nuances of light and shadow in a coastal landscape. It's a good exercise in impressionistic brushwork and color mixing.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic composition: horizon line, cliff outline, and placement of figures.
step 02
Block in the sky with light gray and blue tones, blending softly.
step 03
Establish the base color of the sea using a mix of greens, blues, and grays.
step 04
Add layers of broken color to the sea to represent waves and reflections.
step 05
Paint the cliffs with a mix of browns, yellows, and oranges, using short, broken brushstrokes.
step 06
Define the figures with simple shapes and colors.
step 07
Refine the details of the waves and beach with smaller brushstrokes and color variations.
step 08
Add highlights and shadows to create depth and dimension.

color palette

primary · Prussian Blue · Yellow Ochre · Titanium White

secondary · Burnt Sienna · Cadmium Yellow · Payne's Gray

Achieve the sea colors by mixing Prussian Blue with Yellow Ochre and Titanium White. Use Burnt Sienna and Cadmium Yellow for the cliff highlights. Payne's Gray is useful for muting colors and creating shadows.

techniques

·Broken color
·Impasto
·Wet-on-wet blending
·Layering
·Scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overblending colors, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Failing to capture the subtle color variations in the sea and sky.
→Making the brushstrokes too uniform and lacking texture.
→Ignoring the perspective of the beach and waves.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·Stretched canvas (12x16 or similar)
·Oil paints (Prussian Blue, Yellow Ochre, Titanium White, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Yellow, Payne's Gray)
·Round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
·Flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
·Palette
·Linseed oil
·Odorless mineral spirits
·Palette knife