plate no. 1438

The Saint Gervais Church

Raoul Dufy, 1904

oil, canvasPost-Impressionismcityscapecityscapebuildingschurchskyfiguresrainbow

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in capturing light and shadow with expressive brushstrokes and simplifying complex architectural forms into basic shapes.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the buildings and the horizon line.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: dark sky, light buildings, and the foreground.
step 03
Start adding details to the buildings, focusing on the placement of windows and the rooflines.
step 04
Use short, broken brushstrokes to create texture and capture the light on the buildings.
step 05
Mix and apply the colors for the rainbow, keeping the colors soft and blended.
step 06
Add the figures in the foreground with simple, dark shapes.
step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to create depth and dimension.
step 08
Add final touches and highlights to enhance the overall effect.

color palette

primary · ultramarine blue · titanium white · burnt umber

secondary · yellow ochre · cadmium red · sap green

Mix white with small amounts of blue and umber to create the various shades of the buildings. Use red, yellow, and green to create the rainbow.

techniques

·broken color
·alla prima
·scumbling
·dry brush
·color mixing

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the spontaneity of the brushstrokes.
→Not paying attention to the values and creating a flat, uninteresting painting.
→Using too much detail in the buildings.
→Making the rainbow too vibrant and distracting.