plate no. 1620

White Houses

Pierre Daura, 1935

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapehousestreeslandscapeskyfieldfence

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students practice layering colors and creating depth with simplified forms. It's a good exercise in capturing the essence of a scene rather than precise detail.

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 houses, trees, and field, focusing on proportions and placement.
step 02
Block in the sky with a light, muted gray-blue.
step 03
Apply a base layer of yellow-ochre to the field, varying the tone slightly.
step 04
Add the darker tones to the foreground to create depth.
step 05
Paint the houses with a mix of white, gray, and subtle hints of color, paying attention to the light and shadow.
step 06
Add the trees and branches using thin, varied brushstrokes.
step 07
Define the fence with vertical strokes of brown and gray.
step 08
Refine details and adjust colors as needed to create a cohesive and atmospheric effect.

color palette

primary · yellow ochre · titanium white · raw umber

secondary · cerulean blue · sap green · burnt sienna

Mix the whites with small amounts of other colors to create subtle grays and off-whites for the houses and sky. Use yellow ochre and raw umber for the field, adding touches of burnt sienna for warmth. Muted greens are achieved by mixing sap green with raw umber.

techniques

·dry brush
·layering
·scumbling
·broken color

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the loose, impressionistic feel.
→Making the colors too saturated and not capturing the muted tones of the scene.
→Failing to create depth in the field and background.
→Not varying the brushstrokes enough to create texture and interest.