Impressionism: Paint Like Claude Monet

Apply a water-diluted blue primer to cover the white canvas with a brush, then outline water lily paths or leaves in undiluted blue with a pointed brush, focusing on grouping.

Paint water with a filbert or flat brush, half to three-quarter inch wide. Mix ultramarine blue with cerulean blue and white; apply 1–2 inch strokes and vary tones by placement.

Learn to paint tree reflections in water by mixing yellow-green with yellow and white to create green color, applying wet-on-wet strokes that vary from vertical to horizontal, 1-4 inches long.

Paint water lily pads using varied greens and reuse the green color. Blend purple with white for opacity, sketch oval shapes, and add pink and yellow accents for complementary contrast.

Learn to paint water lilies by layering green lily pads with purple underlayers to add volume, then depict stems in green and blooms with yellow, pink, and white for contrast.

Paint water reflections by applying light pink and white with horizontal strokes to create warm and cool contrast, reflecting green color, trees, and leaves in blue water.

Create contrast between dark and light tones with horizontal and vertical brushstrokes to depict water reflections and water lily pads, using bright, vibrant colors to energize an impressionistic scene.

Learn to refine water lilies in Monet's impressionist style by adding contrast and vibrant colors with horizontal and vertical strokes, focusing on the front water lilies in yellow and pink.

Perform a final assessment of the painting to refine lily groupings, balance color, and unify the composition, adjusting water reflections with cerulean blue and ultramarine blue.