plate no. 6278

White House at Audierne

Roger de La Fresnaye, 1909

oil, canvasExpressionismlandscapelandscapebuildingshillsskypathtrees

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in simplifying complex scenes into basic shapes and using visible brushstrokes to create texture and form. It also emphasizes color mixing to achieve muted, earthy tones.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the buildings, hills, and path using light pencil lines.
step 02
Block in the sky with a thin layer of muted blues and grays.
step 03
Establish the main areas of green in the hills, varying the shades slightly.
step 04
Paint the buildings using a limited palette of whites, grays, and blues, focusing on the light and shadow.
step 05
Add the paths and roads with ochre and brown tones, varying the width and direction.
step 06
Introduce the dark accents for the tree and shadows to create depth.
step 07
Refine the details and textures with visible brushstrokes, paying attention to the direction of the strokes.
step 08
Add final highlights to the buildings and sky to enhance the overall effect.

color palette

primary · olive green · grey · ochre · white

secondary · burnt umber · ultramarine blue · raw sienna

Mix greens by combining blues and yellows with touches of brown. Achieve the muted tones by adding small amounts of complementary colors to desaturate.

techniques

·blocking in
·dry brush
·scumbling
·color mixing
·impasto

common pitfalls

→Overblending the colors, which can flatten the image.
→Using too much detail in the buildings, losing the simplified aesthetic.
→Ignoring the direction of brushstrokes, resulting in a lack of texture.
→Not varying the shades of green enough, making the hills appear monotonous.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (olive green, grey, ochre, white, burnt umber, ultramarine blue, raw sienna)
·palette
·palette knife
·assorted brushes (flat and round)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits