How a painting is begun is crucial to how the painting process will unfold. In this 5-week course we explore two di?erent ways of beginning to paint in oils using two di?erent limited palettes:
1. The Primary Prismatic Palette: Inspiration comes from the Pointillist paintings of Neo- Impressionist painter Georges Seurat. We mix a full range of colors from red, yellow, blue, and white. Avoiding the use of lines, we apply the paint as dots (or any gestural brushstroke that is not a line) to experience how paint itself creates the illusion of three- dimensions, light, and space.
2. The Earth Palette: Using classical techniques, we make a painting in three layers. On the first day we begin with a transparent monochromatic underpainting for establishing values from light to dark. On the second day, we use earth colors plus white for suggesting hues and warm/cool relationships. On the third day, we complete the painting using a full palette with transparent glazing, translucent Velatura, opaque, and impasto paint applications.
We practice loading the lights to make the image pop, and we contrast that with painting the darkest darks transparently. We organize our palettes as a series of gradations of mixed hues and tints that facilitate the painting process and ensure that our colors will be harmonious. Each class begins with a painting demonstration, and we look at art historical references and other visually inspiring materials that explain the hows and whys of each lesson. We paint from simple still life set-ups.
The skills practiced in this class will equip students for future painting classes and for moving forward towards developing their own individual methods and vision.