plate no. 1785
Still Life With Fish
Albert Dubois-Pillet, 1885
experienced study
Recreating this painting will help students understand pointillism and how small dots of color can create a cohesive image; it also provides practice in color mixing and observation of subtle color variations.
technical profile
palette complexity
4
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and composition lightly on the canvas.
- step 02
Establish the background with small dots of yellow and white, varying the density for light and shadow.
- step 03
Block in the main colors of the fruit, eggs, and fish with larger areas of color.
- step 04
Begin applying individual dots of color, layering different hues to create depth and texture.
- step 05
Pay close attention to the color relationships between the objects and their surroundings.
- step 06
Refine the details of the fish scales and the textures of the fruit and eggs.
- step 07
Add highlights and shadows to enhance the three-dimensionality of the objects.
- step 08
Continue layering dots until the desired effect is achieved.
color palette
primary · yellow · white · blue · red
secondary · green · brown · gray · orange
Achieve the greens by mixing blue and yellow, and the browns by mixing red, yellow, and blue. Use white to lighten colors and create highlights.
techniques
- ·Pointillism
- ·Color mixing
- ·Layering
- ·Optical mixing
- ·Creating texture with dots
common pitfalls
- →Overmixing colors, resulting in muddy tones.
- →Applying dots too uniformly, creating a flat appearance.
- →Ignoring the color relationships between objects.
- →Losing the overall composition in the details.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·Canvas (16x20 inches)
- ·Acrylic or oil paints
- ·Small round brushes (various sizes)
- ·Palette
- ·Palette knife
- ·Odorless mineral spirits (if using oil paints)
- ·Linseed oil (optional, if using oil paints)
- ·Easel
optional
- ·Color wheel
- ·Medium for oil paints
Use high-quality paints for best results. Experiment with different brush sizes to achieve the desired dot size.
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