plate no. 3533

Sailboat at Sainte-Adresse

Raoul Dufy, 1912

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismcityscapebuildingswatersailboatcityscapeskyharbor

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and using bold, expressive brushstrokes to convey form and texture. It's a good exercise in color mixing and understanding how to create depth with color temperature.

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 buildings, boat, and water.
step 02
Block in the large areas of color: orange/red for buildings, blue for water, white for the central building.
step 03
Add darker tones to define the shadows and create depth.
step 04
Use short, directional brushstrokes to suggest the texture of the water and foliage.
step 05
Mix and apply secondary colors to add variation and interest to the buildings and sky.
step 06
Define the details of the boat and buildings with darker lines.
step 07
Add highlights to the water and buildings to create a sense of light.
step 08
Refine the overall composition, adjusting colors and values as needed.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · titanium white · cadmium orange

secondary · viridian green · ivory black · yellow ochre

Mix various shades of orange by combining cadmium red and cadmium orange. Create different blues by mixing ultramarine blue with white or black. Achieve greens by mixing blue and yellow.

techniques

·broken color
·impasto
·color blocking
·directional brushstrokes
·scumbling

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the spontaneity of the original.
→Using colors straight from the tube without mixing, resulting in a flat and uninteresting palette.
→Not paying attention to the direction of the brushstrokes, which can flatten the image.
→Failing to simplify the forms and getting bogged down in unnecessary details.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas 18x24
·acrylic or oil paints
·round brushes (sizes 4, 8, 12)
·palette knife
·palette
·linseed oil (if using oil paints)
·mineral spirits or turpentine (for cleaning brushes)
·rags

optional

·easel
·medium gloss
·palette paper

Using a slightly textured canvas can help to create a more painterly effect. Consider using a limited palette of colors to simplify the mixing process.

tips & new artworks in your inbox

no spam — unsubscribe anytime.

or to save artworks, chat, and track progress

chat about this artwork

in this vein