plate no. 0817
Trouville, la mer
Kees van Dongen, 1904
some experience helpful
This painting is great for practicing atmospheric perspective and creating a sense of depth with muted colors. Students will also learn how to suggest details with loose brushwork rather than precise rendering.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Prepare your canvas with a light gray tone.
- step 02
Lightly sketch the horizon line and the approximate location of the figures.
- step 03
Block in the sky with varying shades of gray and blue, using horizontal brushstrokes.
- step 04
Paint the sea, using similar colors but with more visible brushstrokes to suggest movement.
- step 05
Add highlights to the waves with white and light blue.
- step 06
Paint the figures with dark blues and browns, keeping them simple and indistinct.
- step 07
Add a few details to the beach with short, broken brushstrokes.
- step 08
Soften edges and blend colors as needed to create a hazy, atmospheric effect.
color palette
primary · gray · blue · white
secondary · brown · ochre
Mix various shades of gray by combining white with small amounts of blue, brown, and ochre. Use more blue for the sky and more brown for the beach.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·broken color
- ·atmospheric perspective
- ·scumbling
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the loose, expressive quality.
- →Making the colors too saturated and bright.
- →Creating too much contrast between the sky and the sea.
- →Not establishing depth through color and value changes.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·Stretched canvas
- ·Titanium white oil paint
- ·Ultramarine blue oil paint
- ·Burnt umber oil paint
- ·Yellow ochre oil paint
- ·Palette
- ·Assorted brushes (flat and round)
- ·Odorless mineral spirits
optional
- ·Palette knife
- ·Linseed oil
- ·Retouch varnish
Use a medium-grain canvas for best results. Consider using a limited palette to simplify color mixing.
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