Cezanne: Apples, 1878
Learn to use Cezanne's constructivist brushtrokes and his treatment of edges in this stylised still life.
- About this session
- Entry Requirements: None
- Materials: Canvas, paint, pencils, brushes & aprons provided. Bring your sketch book.
- What will we learn in this session?
- Resources
- Student Paintings
- Book this session
About this session
What will we learn in this painting?
- Chroma
- Composition
- Constructivist Brush Strokes
- Counterpoint
- Ionian Mode
- Major Scale
- Planes
- Receding Planes
As well as digital teaching materials, we use one of my interpretations to more clearly see the brushtrokes and texture.
A thumbnail sketch helps us see the strong tonal design by removing detail.
Cezanne places seven almost identical objects into a composition which may be thought to represent the fundamental scale of Western Music.
| Doh | re | mi | fah | soh | la | ti |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | D | E | F | G | A | B |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Cezanne's "constructivist" brushstrokes define planes on an object.
... they also show the variations in light falling on a surface.
Dark outlines draw our attention to edges and also to receding planes.
Resources
My curated list of videos introducing and explaining the work of artist Paul Cezanne.
Student Paintings
The variety of results shown in this one session demonstrates that I am teaching a painting process which:
- Produces excellent results
- Creates a finished masterwork in one session
- Allows for a range of personal approaches to the subject.
Having found the lines of counterpoint, the student is defining the darkest tones first.
Laying down a base coat of red on that apple gives the canvas a huge lift!
This student has worked on all the "positive space" first.
By way of contrast, this student has mapped all the negative space first!
Drawing the positive and negative spaces together.
Naomi's Cezanne incorporated a pop culture reference, with a couple of "smiley face" or you might call them "emoticon apples"!
Gorgeous backgound textures on Naomi's Cezanne, which are difficult to capture with a camera.
Penny's Apples included a Valentine!
Cherry's Apples showed her preference for Baroque texturing, doubtless informed by her 8 grades of piano and violin repertoire.
Alex managed to capture the "squared-off" shapes that Cezanne preferred. This gives the simple sphere a lot of energy.
Tina's apples displayed soft, blended textures. She later overlaid some constructivist Cezanne strokes with impasto.
Detail from Tina's Cezanne.