The Inn at Montigny les Cormeilles

Light arrives from the upper left, casting deep brown shadows across steeply pitched roofs while illuminating the white walls of clustered buildings below. The eye enters through the central white building with the prominent dark roof, then moves progressively to the right as smaller structures step back. A dark foreground structure—possibly a boundary wall or embankment—anchors the lower left and creates compositional depth. The distant landscape fades into a pale, neutral sky, establishing atmospheric perspective through progressively softer edges and cooler tones.

Three clear value zones: the very dark foreground wall (#231218, nearly black), the mid-tone earth and warm roof browns (#5b413e, #98807a), and the light buildings on white-to-cream (#dacac3). The sky sits between the darkest and lightest extremes. Squint and you see a strong dark-light-dark rhythm: foreground dark, bright central building mass, distant building silhouettes darkening again against the light sky. Roof shadows are almost as dark as the foreground, creating a connecting visual thread.

• #dacac3

  Titanium white + burnt sienna, with a touch of ultramarine for shadow areas

  Wall surfaces of all buildings, especially center and right structures

• #5b413e

  Burnt umber + ultramarine blue in shadow areas; burnt umber + burnt sienna for warmer roof zones

  Roof surfaces on the left and center buildings, deepest roof shadows

• #98807a

  Burnt sienna + ultramarine blue with titanium white, warmed with yellow ochre

  Ground and earth tones between buildings, mid-tone roof areas

• #cab8b5

  Titanium white + burnt sienna + raw sienna, very pale

  Warm atmospheric haze in the distant landscape, sky transitions near horizon

• #402d32

  Ultramarine blue + burnt umber + burnt sienna, very dark

  Windows, darkest roof shadows, foreground wall shadows

• #231218

  Burnt umber + ultramarine blue + a touch of burnt sienna, nearly black

  The dark foreground wall or embankment that grounds the composition

Rooflines are sharp and declarative—this is the architecture's spine and must read clearly. White building edges are crisp against dark roofs but soften at distant structures to suggest recession. Shadows on walls are painted with soft, feathered edges where light models the form; this modeling with cool-toned shadows (not just darker white) gives the buildings dimension. The foreground and middle ground show more visible brushwork and texture; the distant landscape dissolves into loose, horizontal strokes with minimal detail, creating atmospheric depth through technique alone.

1. 01

   Establish composition and underpainting

   Lightly sketch the major architectural shapes and the dark foreground mass using burnt umber. Block in the general position of the central building with the prominent peaked roof, the cluster of surrounding structures, and the horizon line. Note that the foreground occupies roughly the lower third and reads as a continuous dark shape.

2. 02

   Lay in the sky and distant landscape

   Paint the sky with pale, warm tones (cream and soft blue-gray), warmer near the horizon and cooler-grayer above. The sky should feel luminous and soft, not stark. Use horizontal strokes for the distant landscape, keeping values muted and edges blurred. This atmospheric wash establishes the depth the buildings will sit in front of.

3. 03

   Block in the dark foreground anchor

   Establish the very dark foreground wall or embankment with a rich mix of ultramarine, burnt umber, and burnt sienna. This dark mass defines the lower boundary and grounds the composition. Keep edges soft where it meets the earth, harder where it silhouettes against the sky. This step is critical—it's the compositional foundation.

4. 04

   Paint the earth and mid-tones

   Block in the open ground between buildings with warm, muted mid-tones (burnt sienna + ultramarine + white). This ground plane is crucial for spatial recession. Vary the warmth slightly—cooler in shadow, warmer where light touches it. Avoid uniformity; the ground should support the vertical architecture.

5. 05

   Establish the roof masses

   Paint the roofs with deep, warm browns on the left and warmer areas catching light, and very dark browns (nearly black in deep shadow) on the right side of the central building. The roofs should feel solid and three-dimensional. The steep angles are essential to the structure—render them decisively with confident strokes following the slope.

6. 06

   Block in white buildings with value modeling

   Paint the white building walls, but immediately establish their form by adding cool-toned shadows on the shaded sides (shadow mixture of white + ultramarine + burnt sienna, not white + black). The center-left building is brightest on its left face; the buildings to the right show more shadow on their sun-facing sides. Model the form first; save the brightest whites for accents.

7. 07

   Develop architectural detail and recession

   Add windows and doorways as dark rectangles with care to perspective and placement. The central building's details should be clearer; distant buildings (right side) should have softer, less distinct openings. Begin to refine edges: keep them sharper on the central buildings, softer on distant structures. The rooflines should be decisive throughout.

8. 08

   Refine values and atmospheric perspective

   Strengthen the darkest darks in the foreground and in roof shadows to increase contrast where needed. Cool the distant landscape further and soften its boundaries. Revisit the white buildings, ensuring the shadow sides show clear modeling. Add final touches: the brightest highlights on the most sun-exposed white surfaces, subtle warm tones in the mid-ground earth where light grazes it.

• Painting the white buildings as uniform white instead of modeling them with clearly visible shadow planes using cool-toned mixtures. The buildings' volume depends on this value differentiation.
• Overworking distant structures with too much detail and sharpness, which flattens the space. Distant buildings should be suggested with softer edges and less intricate detail than the central mass.
• Losing the dark foreground wall's importance. It is not merely a boundary—it creates the spatial recession and anchors the whole composition. Paint it decisively and maintain its dominance relative to other darks.
• Making the roofs uniform in color rather than showing how light and shadow vary across them. The roofs should feel three-dimensional with warm-lit areas, cool shadows, and occasional bright edges catching light.
• Neglecting atmospheric perspective in the sky and distant landscape. The sky must feel luminous and receding, not flat. The distant hills should be paler and cooler than foreground elements.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility