plate no. 8571

Port of Marseilles

Albert Marquet, 1916

oilPost-Impressionismmarinaharborboatswaterbuildingsskycityscape

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve subtle variations in water and sky, and in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and forms. It also provides practice in creating depth through atmospheric perspective.

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 buildings, the boats, and the distant mountain.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: the sky, the water, and the landmasses.
step 03
Establish the basic values, focusing on the light and shadow patterns on the buildings and boats.
step 04
Refine the shapes and details of the boats and buildings, paying attention to their reflections in the water.
step 05
Add the smaller boats and details in the water, using lighter strokes.
step 06
Create atmospheric perspective by lightening the colors and softening the edges of the distant mountain.
step 07
Add final highlights and details to the boats and buildings to create depth and interest.
step 08
Review the painting and make any necessary adjustments to the colors, values, and details.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · titanium white · raw umber · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt sienna · ivory black · viridian

Mix cerulean blue and white for the sky and water, adding small amounts of raw umber and yellow ochre to create subtle variations. Use burnt sienna and ivory black for the boats and buildings, mixing with white to lighten the values.

techniques

·blocking in
·atmospheric perspective
·color mixing
·broken color
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall impressionistic feel.
→Failing to create a sense of depth through atmospheric perspective.
→Using colors that are too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of the scene.
→Not simplifying the complex shapes of the buildings and boats.