plate no. 5121
Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe (Haute-Loire) Under Snow
Albert Dubois-Pillet, 1890
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop their understanding of color mixing and pointillism techniques. It also provides practice in creating depth and atmosphere through subtle color variations.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 15 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, mountain, and horizon line.
- step 02
Establish the overall value structure with a light wash of diluted paint.
- step 03
Begin applying small dots of color, starting with the sky and background.
- step 04
Gradually build up the color density and detail in the foreground elements.
- step 05
Pay attention to the color temperature and value changes to create depth.
- step 06
Use smaller dots for distant objects and larger dots for closer objects.
- step 07
Add the figure and final details.
- step 08
Evaluate and adjust the colors and values as needed.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber
secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red light · violet
Mix blues and white for the sky and snow. Use umber and blue for the mountain. Add touches of red and yellow to warm up the colors.
techniques
- ·pointillism
- ·color mixing
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors and losing the vibrancy of individual dots.
- →Creating a flat, uniform texture instead of varying the dot size and density.
- →Ignoring the value structure and creating a muddy or unclear image.
- →Getting lost in the details and losing sight of the overall composition.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas
- ·round brushes (sizes 0-4)
- ·ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·burnt umber oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·palette
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·medium gloss
- ·easel
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. A smooth canvas surface is recommended for pointillism.
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