plate no. 3395

Varengeville Prés De Dieppe, France

Matthew Smith, 1911

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapelandscapetreesbuildingskygrassrural

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in color mixing to achieve naturalistic hues and practice layering brushstrokes to create texture and depth. It's a good exercise in capturing light and shadow in a landscape.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the building, the large tree, and the horizon line.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin layer of blue, allowing for variations in tone.
step 03
Establish the basic colors of the building: ochre for the walls, darker reds and browns for the roof.
step 04
Paint the large tree, using a mix of greens, yellows, and blues to capture the light filtering through the leaves.
step 05
Add the foreground, using broken brushstrokes to suggest grass and foliage.
step 06
Refine the details of the building, adding shadows and highlights to create form.
step 07
Adjust the colors and values throughout the painting to create a sense of harmony.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to the trees and foliage.

color palette

primary · cerulean blue · yellow ochre · burnt sienna · sap green

secondary · cadmium red · ultramarine blue · raw umber

Mix greens by combining blues and yellows. Achieve earth tones by mixing browns, reds, and yellows. Use white to lighten values and create highlights.

techniques