Shepherdesses

surface prep

The canvas should be prepared according to traditional oil painting standards. While specific priming details for this exact canvas are not in the sources, Pissarro worked in a traditional manner early in his career and maintained craftsmanship standards (Source 8). The surface must be stable to support the layering of oil paint.

underdrawing

Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1). Pissarro, having studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and under Corot, would have possessed strong drawing fundamentals, though his later Pointillist work relied heavily on the optical effect of the dots rather than visible linear underdrawings.

underpainting

While Pissarro’s Pointillist phase involved applying pure colors directly, traditional oil painting often involves layering. The 'fat over lean' rule suggests that initial layers should be leaner (more solvent) and subsequent layers fatter (more oil) to prevent cracking (Source 1). However, in Pointillism, the technique is more about the placement of distinct color patches than traditional glazing or scumbling over a monochrome underpainting, though Pissarro experimented with various methods (Source 7).

Pointillism / Divisionism

Using very small patches of pure colors to create the illusion of blended colors and shading when viewed from a distance. This was a laborious technique Pissarro practiced from 1885 to 1888.

Fat over lean

A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking.

Plein air painting

Painting outdoors to capture the daily reality of village life and the beauties of nature without adulteration. Pissarro was inspired by Corot to paint outdoors.