plate no. 2355

The French coastline at sunset

oilImpressionismlandscapelandscapesunsetfieldtreesskycoastline

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in atmospheric perspective and color mixing to create a sense of depth and distance. It also provides practice in capturing the subtle color variations of a sunset sky.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Prepare your canvas with a neutral ground.
step 02
Sketch the basic composition, dividing the canvas into sky, sea, and land.
step 03
Block in the sky with light yellows, oranges, and pinks, blending softly.
step 04
Paint the distant sea with muted blues and grays.
step 05
Establish the dark silhouettes of the trees along the horizon line.
step 06
Begin layering the field with greens, browns, and yellows, using broken brushstrokes.
step 07
Add details to the foreground vegetation, varying the colors and textures.
step 08
Paint the sun as a small orange circle, softening the edges slightly.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · burnt umber · titanium white · cerulean blue

secondary · cadmium orange · alizarin crimson · sap green

Achieve the sky colors by mixing white with small amounts of yellow ochre, cadmium orange, and alizarin crimson. Mute the greens by mixing them with burnt umber and a touch of red.

techniques