Alright, so, today I'm gonna share how I tackled this landscape painting inspired by Cézanne. I wouldn't call myself an artist, but I like to mess around with paint sometimes, you know?
First thing's first, I grabbed a canvas. It was a decent size, not too big, not too small. Then, I started sketching out the basic shapes with a charcoal pencil. Nothing fancy, just blocking in the mountains, trees, and a suggestion of a little house. I wasn't aiming for photo-realism, remember, Cézanne's stuff is all about the shapes and colors, right?
Next up: color. I squeezed out a bunch of acrylic paints – blues, greens, yellows, ochres, and a bit of red. I didn't try to mix everything perfectly. I kinda wanted that chunky, layered look that Cézanne is famous for. So, I started slapping down the base colors for the sky, using a big brush. I mixed different blues and whites directly on the canvas, creating these uneven, kinda messy patches. It looked awful at first, but I trusted the process.
Then I moved onto the mountains. I mixed greens, blues, and browns, making them kinda muted and desaturated. I used a palette knife for this, applying thick, angular strokes. Again, not trying to be neat. Just trying to capture the general form and color.
The trees were next. I used a smaller brush for these, dabbing on different shades of green. I tried to create some depth by layering lighter greens on top of darker ones. I also added some yellows and oranges to suggest sunlight.
The little house was tricky. I kept it simple, just a blocky shape with a red roof. I used a bit of perspective to make it look like it was receding into the distance.
After that, it was all about refining the colors and shapes. I went back in with the palette knife and added more texture to the mountains. I also glazed over some areas with thin washes of color to unify the painting. I kept stepping back from the canvas to see how it looked from a distance. It's important to do that, you know? You can get too caught up in the details.
I let the painting dry for a day or two, then I went back in and added some final touches. I darkened some shadows, highlighted some areas with lighter colors, and generally tried to make the painting look more balanced and harmonious.
The biggest lesson I learned? Don't be afraid to experiment. Cézanne wasn't afraid to break the rules, and neither should you. Just have fun with it, and see what happens. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be yours.
Here’s a quick rundown of my materials:
- Acrylic paints
- Canvas
- Charcoal pencil
- Brushes (various sizes)
- Palette knife
- Palette
Honestly, it's still not perfect, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It definitely captures the spirit of Cézanne, even if it's not exactly a masterpiece. It was a fun challenge, and I learned a lot in the process. Maybe I'll try another one soon!
