plate no. 2242

Provence landscape

Moise Kisling, 1918

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismlandscapelandscapetreesfieldshillsskyvegetation

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice layering colors to create depth and using visible brushstrokes to add texture and energy to the landscape. It also encourages simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and forms.

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 landscape: hills, fields, and trees.
step 02
Block in the sky with light blue and white, blending softly.
step 03
Establish the horizon line and the general areas for the hills and fields.
step 04
Paint the distant hills with muted blues and greens, adding touches of brown and red.
step 05
Block in the fields with broad strokes of green, yellow, and orange.
step 06
Add the rows in the field using orange and light blue.
step 07
Paint the trees in the foreground with dark greens and blues, highlighting with yellows and oranges.
step 08
Add details to the trees and fields with short, visible brushstrokes.

color palette

primary · Prussian blue · Yellow ochre · Cadmium orange · Sap green

secondary · Titanium white · Burnt umber · Cadmium red

Mix greens by combining Prussian blue and Yellow ochre. Mute colors by adding a touch of Burnt umber. Achieve the sky color by mixing Prussian blue with Titanium white.

techniques

·Impasto
·Broken color
·Layering
·Color mixing
·Scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, resulting in a muddy appearance.
→Getting the perspective wrong, making the landscape look flat.
→Ignoring the subtle color variations in the trees and fields.
→Using too much detail in the background, which can distract from the foreground.