classical oil painting technique
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
This TEACHING ZONE has been created specifically for those who are uncertain whether theyshould by the Video Workshop but are interested in learning more about the classical painting techniqueAs I said elsewhere in my site my main goal is to share my knowledge with as many people as possibleand the membership fee is so low that using the Teaching Zone will be affordable to practically everyoneinterested in the Old Masters oil painting technique The Teaching Zone was created on the basis of the
my Video Workshop and takes the form of an Internet book with appropriate interactive multimediatechnology
Introduction
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Hi my name is Alexei Antonov This is my first video course of classical painting technique It is notjust an art workshop This is my first action for the ecology of culture Exponents of modern art may find
some of my ideas politically incorrect This course however has been made for those who treasureeternal values in art Enjoy the show
When we come in the museum and view pictures of Old Masters of the Renaissance epoch we arefascinated by their art or rather by their craft Subtle nuances of tone and color precision of expression
of texture and surface details And the enigmatic lunar color in half-tones We begin to feel that OldMasters were different from us Were they better than our generation
Then entering a modern art hall we see pictures that depict triangles squares and other unidentifiableforms produced by splashing and slapping paint and not only paint with brushes and sometimes not
only brushes on canvas and sometimes not only on canvas To make an abstract picture requiresneither skill nor time unlike a classical still life or portrait
But if you were offered a choice of a beautiful still life and an abstract painting showing a black or redtriangle which one would you chose if say the price were the same Perhaps you will agree with me
that most people would choose a beautiful still life
In conclusion of this brief introduction some words should be said about every artists material concernsExperience has shown that the classical school of painting can be studied without having a special
talent The only condition is a passionate desire to learn and a little patience The material aspect israther important in this world of ours
If you feel you can be an artist and support your family and yourself with the money earned by paintingremember the competition in the art market is fierce
And in the struggle you have to win not by begging the gallery owner to take your painting onconsignment explaining verbally how extraordinary and talented you are You can win by simply
showing the gallery owner fragment of your painting and all avant-garde painters will then flee thegallery and go to work at the factory to earn their bread honestly It is impossible to deceive the worldclarity virtue and beauty are returning throwing deception ugliness and sin back into oblivion where
they belong
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This video course of classical painting will give you an opportunity to understand and practice the OldMasters technique You will learn how to paint a classical still life from the beginning to the end The
course consists of the following sections
I CompositionII Priming the Canvas
III DrawingIV Imprimatura
V Umber UnderlayerVI Dead Underlayer
VII Color LayersVIII Finishing Layers
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
CompositionThere is no democracy in the world of classical art education If you are trying to do something in your
own way or trying some new technique you are outside the classical art temple
The background in Old Masters still lifes is in most cases dark
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When you have placed the objects for your composition you have already started to create When youplace items on the table try to create the exact image of your future painting The first law of
composition place the source of light on the left There are many various types of still lifes we willdiscuss them in our future workshops In this course we will analyze a simple still life composition A
glazed jar white drape and a few fruits may be a good example for understanding the basics of still lifetexture
A lovely pear prefers to show itself to the world only by one certain side
A lemon is just a lemon but it must tell the world about all its brothers You should be very careful whenchoosing object for the composition of your future still life Dont take modern design objects for
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example telephones food processors plastic things Remember even Rubens who lived in the 16-17thcenturies chose the then antique objects for his paintings You should not try to be original when
constructing the composition All compositions have been made before and they are not very numerousLearn from the Old Masters and your future admirers will be grateful to you
Light and shadow on the white drape change with every touch As a sculptor you must decide right nowon all the nuances of your painting For inspiration look into the paintings of Old Masters and ignorereproaches of the contemporary school Its exponents have different goals and ideas about beauty A
silver knife doesnt want to be shown together with a country-style jar Now that we have an arrangementof a jar drape and fruit we have to decide on the format of the future still life If we are painting a
vertical composition we have to change this composition to make it suit the vertical format We can dothat by rearranging the drape Particular attention should be paid to the folds
Each fold should be viewed as a separate detail of the entire composition Relying on a happy accident inlaying out the drape you have at the same time to correct certain details
Dew or raindrops add unbelievable freshness to the painting It is difficult to find a still life of an OldMaster without sparkling drops of water
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It is conventional wisdom that drawing is the skeleton of the painting color is the muscles andcomposition is the soul of the painting
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Priming the canvas
To prime the canvas you will need the following things - a confectioners knife
- a palette knife
-a razor blade with corners rounded at the wheel machine
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
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- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Hi my name is Alexei Antonov This is my first video course of classical painting technique It is notjust an art workshop This is my first action for the ecology of culture Exponents of modern art may find
some of my ideas politically incorrect This course however has been made for those who treasureeternal values in art Enjoy the show
When we come in the museum and view pictures of Old Masters of the Renaissance epoch we arefascinated by their art or rather by their craft Subtle nuances of tone and color precision of expression
of texture and surface details And the enigmatic lunar color in half-tones We begin to feel that OldMasters were different from us Were they better than our generation
Then entering a modern art hall we see pictures that depict triangles squares and other unidentifiableforms produced by splashing and slapping paint and not only paint with brushes and sometimes not
only brushes on canvas and sometimes not only on canvas To make an abstract picture requiresneither skill nor time unlike a classical still life or portrait
But if you were offered a choice of a beautiful still life and an abstract painting showing a black or redtriangle which one would you chose if say the price were the same Perhaps you will agree with me
that most people would choose a beautiful still life
In conclusion of this brief introduction some words should be said about every artists material concernsExperience has shown that the classical school of painting can be studied without having a special
talent The only condition is a passionate desire to learn and a little patience The material aspect israther important in this world of ours
If you feel you can be an artist and support your family and yourself with the money earned by paintingremember the competition in the art market is fierce
And in the struggle you have to win not by begging the gallery owner to take your painting onconsignment explaining verbally how extraordinary and talented you are You can win by simply
showing the gallery owner fragment of your painting and all avant-garde painters will then flee thegallery and go to work at the factory to earn their bread honestly It is impossible to deceive the worldclarity virtue and beauty are returning throwing deception ugliness and sin back into oblivion where
they belong
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This video course of classical painting will give you an opportunity to understand and practice the OldMasters technique You will learn how to paint a classical still life from the beginning to the end The
course consists of the following sections
I CompositionII Priming the Canvas
III DrawingIV Imprimatura
V Umber UnderlayerVI Dead Underlayer
VII Color LayersVIII Finishing Layers
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
CompositionThere is no democracy in the world of classical art education If you are trying to do something in your
own way or trying some new technique you are outside the classical art temple
The background in Old Masters still lifes is in most cases dark
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When you have placed the objects for your composition you have already started to create When youplace items on the table try to create the exact image of your future painting The first law of
composition place the source of light on the left There are many various types of still lifes we willdiscuss them in our future workshops In this course we will analyze a simple still life composition A
glazed jar white drape and a few fruits may be a good example for understanding the basics of still lifetexture
A lovely pear prefers to show itself to the world only by one certain side
A lemon is just a lemon but it must tell the world about all its brothers You should be very careful whenchoosing object for the composition of your future still life Dont take modern design objects for
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example telephones food processors plastic things Remember even Rubens who lived in the 16-17thcenturies chose the then antique objects for his paintings You should not try to be original when
constructing the composition All compositions have been made before and they are not very numerousLearn from the Old Masters and your future admirers will be grateful to you
Light and shadow on the white drape change with every touch As a sculptor you must decide right nowon all the nuances of your painting For inspiration look into the paintings of Old Masters and ignorereproaches of the contemporary school Its exponents have different goals and ideas about beauty A
silver knife doesnt want to be shown together with a country-style jar Now that we have an arrangementof a jar drape and fruit we have to decide on the format of the future still life If we are painting a
vertical composition we have to change this composition to make it suit the vertical format We can dothat by rearranging the drape Particular attention should be paid to the folds
Each fold should be viewed as a separate detail of the entire composition Relying on a happy accident inlaying out the drape you have at the same time to correct certain details
Dew or raindrops add unbelievable freshness to the painting It is difficult to find a still life of an OldMaster without sparkling drops of water
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It is conventional wisdom that drawing is the skeleton of the painting color is the muscles andcomposition is the soul of the painting
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Priming the canvas
To prime the canvas you will need the following things - a confectioners knife
- a palette knife
-a razor blade with corners rounded at the wheel machine
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
In conclusion of this brief introduction some words should be said about every artists material concernsExperience has shown that the classical school of painting can be studied without having a special
talent The only condition is a passionate desire to learn and a little patience The material aspect israther important in this world of ours
If you feel you can be an artist and support your family and yourself with the money earned by paintingremember the competition in the art market is fierce
And in the struggle you have to win not by begging the gallery owner to take your painting onconsignment explaining verbally how extraordinary and talented you are You can win by simply
showing the gallery owner fragment of your painting and all avant-garde painters will then flee thegallery and go to work at the factory to earn their bread honestly It is impossible to deceive the worldclarity virtue and beauty are returning throwing deception ugliness and sin back into oblivion where
they belong
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This video course of classical painting will give you an opportunity to understand and practice the OldMasters technique You will learn how to paint a classical still life from the beginning to the end The
course consists of the following sections
I CompositionII Priming the Canvas
III DrawingIV Imprimatura
V Umber UnderlayerVI Dead Underlayer
VII Color LayersVIII Finishing Layers
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
CompositionThere is no democracy in the world of classical art education If you are trying to do something in your
own way or trying some new technique you are outside the classical art temple
The background in Old Masters still lifes is in most cases dark
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When you have placed the objects for your composition you have already started to create When youplace items on the table try to create the exact image of your future painting The first law of
composition place the source of light on the left There are many various types of still lifes we willdiscuss them in our future workshops In this course we will analyze a simple still life composition A
glazed jar white drape and a few fruits may be a good example for understanding the basics of still lifetexture
A lovely pear prefers to show itself to the world only by one certain side
A lemon is just a lemon but it must tell the world about all its brothers You should be very careful whenchoosing object for the composition of your future still life Dont take modern design objects for
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example telephones food processors plastic things Remember even Rubens who lived in the 16-17thcenturies chose the then antique objects for his paintings You should not try to be original when
constructing the composition All compositions have been made before and they are not very numerousLearn from the Old Masters and your future admirers will be grateful to you
Light and shadow on the white drape change with every touch As a sculptor you must decide right nowon all the nuances of your painting For inspiration look into the paintings of Old Masters and ignorereproaches of the contemporary school Its exponents have different goals and ideas about beauty A
silver knife doesnt want to be shown together with a country-style jar Now that we have an arrangementof a jar drape and fruit we have to decide on the format of the future still life If we are painting a
vertical composition we have to change this composition to make it suit the vertical format We can dothat by rearranging the drape Particular attention should be paid to the folds
Each fold should be viewed as a separate detail of the entire composition Relying on a happy accident inlaying out the drape you have at the same time to correct certain details
Dew or raindrops add unbelievable freshness to the painting It is difficult to find a still life of an OldMaster without sparkling drops of water
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It is conventional wisdom that drawing is the skeleton of the painting color is the muscles andcomposition is the soul of the painting
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Priming the canvas
To prime the canvas you will need the following things - a confectioners knife
- a palette knife
-a razor blade with corners rounded at the wheel machine
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
This video course of classical painting will give you an opportunity to understand and practice the OldMasters technique You will learn how to paint a classical still life from the beginning to the end The
course consists of the following sections
I CompositionII Priming the Canvas
III DrawingIV Imprimatura
V Umber UnderlayerVI Dead Underlayer
VII Color LayersVIII Finishing Layers
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
CompositionThere is no democracy in the world of classical art education If you are trying to do something in your
own way or trying some new technique you are outside the classical art temple
The background in Old Masters still lifes is in most cases dark
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When you have placed the objects for your composition you have already started to create When youplace items on the table try to create the exact image of your future painting The first law of
composition place the source of light on the left There are many various types of still lifes we willdiscuss them in our future workshops In this course we will analyze a simple still life composition A
glazed jar white drape and a few fruits may be a good example for understanding the basics of still lifetexture
A lovely pear prefers to show itself to the world only by one certain side
A lemon is just a lemon but it must tell the world about all its brothers You should be very careful whenchoosing object for the composition of your future still life Dont take modern design objects for
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example telephones food processors plastic things Remember even Rubens who lived in the 16-17thcenturies chose the then antique objects for his paintings You should not try to be original when
constructing the composition All compositions have been made before and they are not very numerousLearn from the Old Masters and your future admirers will be grateful to you
Light and shadow on the white drape change with every touch As a sculptor you must decide right nowon all the nuances of your painting For inspiration look into the paintings of Old Masters and ignorereproaches of the contemporary school Its exponents have different goals and ideas about beauty A
silver knife doesnt want to be shown together with a country-style jar Now that we have an arrangementof a jar drape and fruit we have to decide on the format of the future still life If we are painting a
vertical composition we have to change this composition to make it suit the vertical format We can dothat by rearranging the drape Particular attention should be paid to the folds
Each fold should be viewed as a separate detail of the entire composition Relying on a happy accident inlaying out the drape you have at the same time to correct certain details
Dew or raindrops add unbelievable freshness to the painting It is difficult to find a still life of an OldMaster without sparkling drops of water
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It is conventional wisdom that drawing is the skeleton of the painting color is the muscles andcomposition is the soul of the painting
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Priming the canvas
To prime the canvas you will need the following things - a confectioners knife
- a palette knife
-a razor blade with corners rounded at the wheel machine
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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When you have placed the objects for your composition you have already started to create When youplace items on the table try to create the exact image of your future painting The first law of
composition place the source of light on the left There are many various types of still lifes we willdiscuss them in our future workshops In this course we will analyze a simple still life composition A
glazed jar white drape and a few fruits may be a good example for understanding the basics of still lifetexture
A lovely pear prefers to show itself to the world only by one certain side
A lemon is just a lemon but it must tell the world about all its brothers You should be very careful whenchoosing object for the composition of your future still life Dont take modern design objects for
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example telephones food processors plastic things Remember even Rubens who lived in the 16-17thcenturies chose the then antique objects for his paintings You should not try to be original when
constructing the composition All compositions have been made before and they are not very numerousLearn from the Old Masters and your future admirers will be grateful to you
Light and shadow on the white drape change with every touch As a sculptor you must decide right nowon all the nuances of your painting For inspiration look into the paintings of Old Masters and ignorereproaches of the contemporary school Its exponents have different goals and ideas about beauty A
silver knife doesnt want to be shown together with a country-style jar Now that we have an arrangementof a jar drape and fruit we have to decide on the format of the future still life If we are painting a
vertical composition we have to change this composition to make it suit the vertical format We can dothat by rearranging the drape Particular attention should be paid to the folds
Each fold should be viewed as a separate detail of the entire composition Relying on a happy accident inlaying out the drape you have at the same time to correct certain details
Dew or raindrops add unbelievable freshness to the painting It is difficult to find a still life of an OldMaster without sparkling drops of water
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It is conventional wisdom that drawing is the skeleton of the painting color is the muscles andcomposition is the soul of the painting
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Priming the canvas
To prime the canvas you will need the following things - a confectioners knife
- a palette knife
-a razor blade with corners rounded at the wheel machine
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
When you have placed the objects for your composition you have already started to create When youplace items on the table try to create the exact image of your future painting The first law of
composition place the source of light on the left There are many various types of still lifes we willdiscuss them in our future workshops In this course we will analyze a simple still life composition A
glazed jar white drape and a few fruits may be a good example for understanding the basics of still lifetexture
A lovely pear prefers to show itself to the world only by one certain side
A lemon is just a lemon but it must tell the world about all its brothers You should be very careful whenchoosing object for the composition of your future still life Dont take modern design objects for
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example telephones food processors plastic things Remember even Rubens who lived in the 16-17thcenturies chose the then antique objects for his paintings You should not try to be original when
constructing the composition All compositions have been made before and they are not very numerousLearn from the Old Masters and your future admirers will be grateful to you
Light and shadow on the white drape change with every touch As a sculptor you must decide right nowon all the nuances of your painting For inspiration look into the paintings of Old Masters and ignorereproaches of the contemporary school Its exponents have different goals and ideas about beauty A
silver knife doesnt want to be shown together with a country-style jar Now that we have an arrangementof a jar drape and fruit we have to decide on the format of the future still life If we are painting a
vertical composition we have to change this composition to make it suit the vertical format We can dothat by rearranging the drape Particular attention should be paid to the folds
Each fold should be viewed as a separate detail of the entire composition Relying on a happy accident inlaying out the drape you have at the same time to correct certain details
Dew or raindrops add unbelievable freshness to the painting It is difficult to find a still life of an OldMaster without sparkling drops of water
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It is conventional wisdom that drawing is the skeleton of the painting color is the muscles andcomposition is the soul of the painting
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Priming the canvas
To prime the canvas you will need the following things - a confectioners knife
- a palette knife
-a razor blade with corners rounded at the wheel machine
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
example telephones food processors plastic things Remember even Rubens who lived in the 16-17thcenturies chose the then antique objects for his paintings You should not try to be original when
constructing the composition All compositions have been made before and they are not very numerousLearn from the Old Masters and your future admirers will be grateful to you
Light and shadow on the white drape change with every touch As a sculptor you must decide right nowon all the nuances of your painting For inspiration look into the paintings of Old Masters and ignorereproaches of the contemporary school Its exponents have different goals and ideas about beauty A
silver knife doesnt want to be shown together with a country-style jar Now that we have an arrangementof a jar drape and fruit we have to decide on the format of the future still life If we are painting a
vertical composition we have to change this composition to make it suit the vertical format We can dothat by rearranging the drape Particular attention should be paid to the folds
Each fold should be viewed as a separate detail of the entire composition Relying on a happy accident inlaying out the drape you have at the same time to correct certain details
Dew or raindrops add unbelievable freshness to the painting It is difficult to find a still life of an OldMaster without sparkling drops of water
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It is conventional wisdom that drawing is the skeleton of the painting color is the muscles andcomposition is the soul of the painting
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Priming the canvas
To prime the canvas you will need the following things - a confectioners knife
- a palette knife
-a razor blade with corners rounded at the wheel machine
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
It is conventional wisdom that drawing is the skeleton of the painting color is the muscles andcomposition is the soul of the painting
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Priming the canvas
To prime the canvas you will need the following things - a confectioners knife
- a palette knife
-a razor blade with corners rounded at the wheel machine
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
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Similarly you need to prepare the confectioners knife Its blade should have an elliptic shape
To remove tiny scratches from the blade of the knife use fine sand paper once in a while
For study purposes use ultra-smooth cotton canvas
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Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Prepare a mixture of gesso and modeling paste 50 percent of gesso 50 percent of paste
Even if you use primed canvas you must prime it again Apply as many layers of the priming mixtureas is needed to achieve the surface that will make the canvas texture almost invisible
When applying the priming mixture change the direction of the movement of the knife as long as themixture is soft The movements must be energetic and confident
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Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Stop before the mixture begins to thicken
To speed up the process use a hair dryerMake sure that the priming layer is well dried
Then use the round-cornered razor blade to remove excessive priming Never use sand paper for thatthere can be a large grain of sand that will make a deep unrecoverable scratch
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The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The desired smoothness of the canvas is usually achieved after priming the canvas three or four timesAfter you have finished priming the surface of the canvas should feel like the surface of the eggshell
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Drawing
To become an artist you first need to learn to draw drawing is the basis of art Drawing is a means ofthinking the artist must be able to think without difficulty
Constant drawing from nature constant exercise in that is as important as copying the works of GreatMasters However this topic requires a special workshop now we are discussing painting technique and
preparing the canvas for the next stages
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
If you have problems in drawing dont be put off by that use the advantages given by moderntechnology such as a camera slide projector opaque projector or similar gadgets Leonardo da Vincifor example to achieve a better precision of painted objects invented a camera obscura grandfather of
modern photo cameras Dont be afraid to use technical devices in your work a camera is just a tool likea paintbrush
Each step in making a painting beginning with priming the canvas must be carried out with the highestpossible quality Each step should produce an impression of a finished work If you manage to make
seven finished works on one canvas you are bound to be successful
Trey to make as many details as possible in the pencil drawing it will make it easier for you to achieve abetter quality in the next steps
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The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise structure of borders between areas of highlight andlight light and half-tone half-tone and shadow and reflections
It is also advisable to draw some details of texture This however is done only for your ownconvenience it will help you to memorize texture characteristics
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvas draw it out in ink
Imprimatura the first oil layer will wash away the pencil leaving the ink drawing as the first layer ofyour painting
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Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Many unfinished paintings by Old Masters give us evidence of the importance of the ink drawingAccording to Cenini the painting in that form was already capable of fascinating the viewer
It is obvious that the ink drawing is not only good in itself it has an important functional valueparticularly for the beginning artist the beginner sometimes has to wash away everything he or she has
done in the umber underlayer The ink drawing remains and the artist doesnt have to draw thecomposition again
A little advice pay particular attention to such details as the ornament of the tabletop lace ornament andother structurally complex elements
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ImprimaturaImprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish painting technique Imprimatura must have a neutral olivehue
The degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen in relation to the largest light areaof the future painting such as a white drape or a face
You can use only yellow ochre and lamp black However Prussian blue and burnt umber are added toaccelerate drying of the next layers
The presence of Prussian blue and burnt umber in imprimatura enables you to make your mixture warmeror colder
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Flake white is added to make brush strokes softer
Prepare the mixture on a white palette it will help you see the degree of transparency of the mixture Themixture should be thinned with 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damar varnish
Add paints to the yellow ocher very slowly and carefully
Be particularly attentive with Prussian blue it is a very intensive pigment
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately before you begin the next layerThis
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leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
leads to a better contact of the paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer It also improves theprocess of dry brush blending
Apply the linseed oil with your hand the warmth of the hand helps the oil penetrate into the pores of thedry layer
Then remove excessive oil from the surface with a clean cloth Wipe the canvas well excessive oil isharmful for the paint layers
The mixture should be spread on the canvas with a bristle brush as evenly as possible
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Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
Then blend the brush strokes as carefully as you can with a soft squirrel or camel brush
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The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The dry brush that you use for blending should be cleaned with a cloth regularly to remove paint thatgets on it from the canvas Imprimatura completes the main preparatory stage This layer must dry very
well it takes about 7 days During that time you can begin work on other paintings
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Umber Underlayer
Imprimatura is now well dried
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and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
and before you begin the next layer you should scrape the canvas with the round-corner razor blade inorder to remove an occasional brush hair and dust that covered the canvas during the 7 days of drying
Use the razor blade very carefully otherwise you can damage the imprimatura layer
After that oil the canvas and remove excessive oil the way you did before
Do the same thing with the palette
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You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
You will need several round and flat kolinsky brushes of different brushes to paint with and several softsquirrel or camel brushes for dry brush blending
The working medium is composed of approximately 2 parts of turpentine one part of damar varnish andone drop of lavender oil From time immemorial lavender oil was used to stimulate intellectual and
physical activity Old Masters knew that and added lavender oil in their working media However it maybe a drop of lavender oil kills the heavy smell of turpentine
Apply burnt umber to the canvas with confident movements but stick to the drawing contour
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The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the traditional concept of oil paintingalthough your medium is oil paint use it as if you were using watercolor
This means that light and shadow depend on the degree of transparency of the applied mixture thepigment you add to the medium the darker it will be
As soon as you feel that you have covered an area with a desired tone begin blending with a mediumsize correcting brush Begin blending with the lighter areas moving gradually to the darker ones
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After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
After the correcting brush which you use to spread the paint masses more or less evenly use a bigblending brush to achieve the final smoothing effect
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One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
One of the aims of making imprimatura is to reduce the amount of applied light paint Therefore therelationship between imprimatura and the umber underlayer must be carried out in a way that would
bring the future corrections to minimum
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Remember the golden rule you make the next layer not to correct mistakes in the previous layer but youmake the previous layer to facilitate work in the next layer
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
II Umber UnderlayerIn the first stage of the umber underlayer it is very important to maintain the construction between lightand shadow of the individual object leaving the tonal relationships between the still life objects for the
next stage of the umber underlayer Be sure you dont make dark areas of the still life too darkRemember in the umber underlayer we shall only be able to make them darker but never lighter
The umber underlayer should consist of several well-dried stages Dont decide on the number of umberstages in advance make as many as necessary to achieve the tonality that will not require improvements
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in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
in the next layers Naturally for some dark objects for example black cloth a violin neck some parts ofblack grapes the darkness of umber will be insufficient Nevertheless the tonal construction of the
darkest areas must be made in umber with the greatest possible precision Dont spare your time in theumber underlayer because in the next stages you will rely on it If you are able to avoid major tonalcorrections in the layers that follow the umber underlayer you painting will be fresh and beautiful
Dont forget to scrape the canvas with the razor blade to remove dust and excessive texture of brushstrokes As the result of scraping the canvas after each layer the surface of the canvas should become as
smooth as silk
Scrape the canvas carefully however dont despair if you scraped some areas more than you wantedthese areas can be easily restoredYou will avoid scraping the dry layer to the white canvas if you made
the priming correctly that is if there is no uneven areas after priming
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The classical composition laws require that light shall concentrate in the center of the painting and fadeaway near the edges of the canvas
If you are painting a portrait or a complicated composition you will need to make more umber stages Inour case the umber underlayer is completed in two stages
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The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The finishing stage of the umber underlayer may be called the generalizing stage In the generalizingstage you can use larger brushes than in the previous stage
All details of the composition were made in the previous stage In this stage we only have to show tonaldifferences between the objects This means for example that the lemon is darker than the white drape
but lighter than the pear The jar is darker than the background but is brighter lit This is the last task thatyou carry out in the umber underlayer
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
Dead UnderlayerIt is not coloring that is most important in painting but tone
If you follow the technological rules then even the most successful colorist of the Realistic school willenvy the delicacy and depth of the classical painting
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Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Old Masters believed that the painting should be made in gray color pigments can easily be bought later
The main purpose of the dead layer is to make half-tones of the painted objects
The laws of the classical painting say that the half-tone should be cold whereas a realistic artist can seein the half-tone any imaginable color
If you make the dead layer well then working on the color layer your creativity will be free from thenecessity to solve tonal tasks
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Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Remember the colder the dead layer is the hotter and brighter the color will look on it
It is because of the dead layer finished paintings look lighter or darker warmer or colder
To keep mixtures prepared for the dead layer you may use empty tubes or for shorter periods ofstorage you can use film boxes
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Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Pigments used in the dead layer have passed the test of time They are flake white lamp black yellowocher Prussian blue and burnt umber
Prussian blue and burnt umber accelerate drying and balance cold and warm colors in your mixture
Now after preparing the palette we begin making mixtures
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To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
To make a black mixture for the dead layer we take two parts of lamp black one part of burnt umberand about one eighth of Prussian blue
To make a white mixture for the dead layer we take flake white and decrease the intensity of the openwhite by adding a little bit of black mixture
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After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
After that we make a middle tone between the light and the dark mixturesThe approximate proportion istwo parts of the black and one part of the light mixture The middle tone mixture should be colored byadding yellow ocher burnt umber and Prussian blueThe proportion depends on your vision of the deadlayer whether you want to make it bluer greener or browner You should avoid violet tones in the dead
layer And remember the dead layer is dominated by the gray color
Then on the basis of the light and middle tone mixtures you make five more intermediate tones
Two more intermediate tones should also be made between the middle tone and black mixtures
The umber underlayer dries in about three weeks
To make sure that the layer is well dried you can oil slightly a corner of a white cloth and rub it on thedark area of the canvas If the white cloth gets brown you must leave the canvas to dry better
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When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
When the canvas is well dried scrape it with the razor blade oil and wipe the canvas the way you didbefore
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Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Now the canvas is ready for further work Always begin with dark areas
By touching lightly the painted area identify the suitable tonality of the mixture All the next layers willbe made with two brushes one brush for dark mixtures the other for light mixtures
Sometimes when the mixture on the canvas gets sticky too fast and it becomes difficult to makeblending with a brush you can blend with your fingers
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In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
In the umber underlayer you have already chosen the tonality Now you have to rely on it that is youmust repeat the chosen tonality in the dead underlayer
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical changes
You can alter the tonality towards shadow or light only to a small extent
If we take the range between black and white as consisting of seven tones in the dead underlayer you canchange the tonality only by one tone up or down
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A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
A good guide in selecting the right tone is the areas of the umber underlayer seen between deadunderlayer brush strokes
Visible umber areas must not be in a dramatic contrast to your working mixture
For that reason it is very important to work with small brushes even in large areas such as thebackground
You should work as is imitating pen strokes
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
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- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Visible umber areas function as the third brush
Begin blending with the dark areas they get sticky faster
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After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
After blending it may seem that the umber underlayer has become invisible
However it will continue its function particularly in the shadowed areas which must have a thinnerlayer of paint in the dead layer
Sometimes blending may take as much time as applying paint To finish work on a certain area use thebiggest soft blending brush
On the contrary lighter areas require thicker layers of paint because it is the light areas the areas with agreater amount of white pigments which become transparent faster than the darker areas
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
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- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Besides the blending brush cleaned from the dark paint with a dry cloth will not damage the light area asmuch as the blending brush with the remains of the light paint can damage the dark areas
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
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- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
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- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
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You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
You can ask why you should make so much work in the umber underlayer if you have to overpaint itThe best answer is found
in the museums paintings made in the classical technique look best of all You should feel creativesatisfaction after finishing each stage while the painting dries between stages it lives in your studio
Your visitors and yourself see it dont deprive yourself of that pleasure The tone in the dead underlayershould be made lighter in light areas and darker in shadows compared to the umber underlayer
However the tone should be darker in light areas and lighter in shadows than in the following colorlayer It is important to make half-tones as precise as possible because they will hardly be corrected in
further layers There will be places that you will not paint at all
In future workshops we will discuss other methods of making the dead underlayer such as Ian vanHaisoms technique His method is characterized by detailed and careful work in the umber underlayer
that results in different tasks to be performed in the dead underlayer In future we shall also discuss someother possible shortcuts Now it is advisable for the artist beginning to work in the classical technique to
make the dead underlayer by painting all elements of the still life in order to understand the tasks andmeaning of the dead underlayer in practice It is recommended to make ten or fifteen paintings using this
method before learning other ways of making the dead underlayer Dont work on the texture in this
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stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
stage but begin thinking about it while making blending smoother at places or leaving more visiblebrush strokes in other places
Speaking about the qualities of oil paints it should be remembered that oil paints stick well on thecarefully prepared canvas and are an excellent medium for modeling shading and achieving most
delicate transitions from tone to tone because they remain wet for a long time However it is a mistaketo think that oil painting does not require any methods and you can make layer after layer without any
system On the contrary oil painting requires strict adherence to a certain technique It is true that defectsof incorrect use of oils are discovered not so soon compared to other mediums but they inevitably
become visible sooner or later The best techniques of oil painting were developed in the Renaissanceepoch They make the best examples of painting both from the artistic and technical points of view Theknowledge of the physical characteristics of the materials enabled Old Masters to create the technique of
oil painting that has never been surpassed
In the entire history of oil painting their style and technique are unique in their harmony of materials andartistic taste The knowledge of that technique lived in the artists guilds through the 17th century In the18th century due to the emergence of new ideas in painting that technique was gradually lost As early
as in the first art academies the technical artistic training of the artist was replaced by philosophic artisticeducation Since that time the knowledge of painting technique that had been the basis of the artists
work begins to be viewed as limiting artistic freedom
Dramatic neglect of the oil painting technique occurred in the age of French impressionists whointroduced a non-systematic use of oils Impressionists destructive ideas were brought to gargantuan
proportions by their followers particularly by neo-impressionists Pointillism may have a certain sensefrom the artistic point of view but this method does not arise from the intrinsic properties of oil painting
New ideas in art should look for other materials for their realization if they contradict established andtime-honored traditions From that standpoint impressionism brought in a false style in oil painting thatregrettably has its followers up to now Research into oil painting techniques carried out both by artistsand by scholars was primarily aimed at discovering and regeneration of the lost Old Masters methods
Many aspects of the forgotten technique have been discovered but painting itself went far away from thegoals and principles of Old Masters painting Naturally it is now possible to relate the Old Masters
technique with the modern understanding of art But an oil painting technique whatever its goals may bethat is employed to create long-lasting works of art must arise from the properties and characteristics of
oil paint materials
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
I Color LayerColor Layers Now we are beginning the first color layer
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Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Make sure that the canvas is well dried Our canvas dried for four weeks After the usual preparation ofthe canvas and the palette before the next stage we begin work on the color layer
Well be using ivory black Prussian blue transparent oxide red burnt umber permanent madder deepred ocher extra fine Indian yellow yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep flake white and our regular
dead underlayer mixtures
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The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The main principle of the first color layer is that you should make shadow areas darker and morecolorful
Working on shadows you should use more transparent mixtures
Working on medium-light areas apply semi-transparent mixturesWhen painting middle tones on largeareas add a little semi-transparent mixture with some Prussian blue Semi-transparency is achieved by
making sparse brush strokes with a small brush with subsequent blending with a dry brush
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Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Lighted areas should be made lighter and more colorful too Working on light areas use more paste-likemixtures applying them rather thickly
Painting the wall that is our background you can make it warmer or colder
To make it warmer you should cover the shadow areas of the dead underlayer with a darker and warmermixture of ivory black burnt umber and permanent madder deep To make the background colder dont
overuse that mixture
The wall will look much colder even if the lighted areas on it will be made with very warm mixtures
By cold colors we mean colors closer to that of ice whereas warm colors are closer to that of flame
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Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Applying color mixtures on a well prepared shape in the dead underlayer leave visible as many deadunderlayer areas in half-tones as possible
Keep in mind that literally a couple of color brush strokes may be enough to make for example the tabletop made in gray in the dead underlayer become dark mahogany
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Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Each layer brings us closer to the concept of texture Texture is the degree of reflection of light by thesurface
We do not carry out texture tasks in the color layer but gradually intensifying lighted areas on theobjects we notice that some objects reflect light brighter and sharper for example the surface of a glassor polished furniture while other objects reflect light more dimly and dispersedly like our white drape or
the mat wall in the background
Now you can see the advantages of this technique particularly for the beginning artists The detail that
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you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
you think went wrong is wiped away with a cloth from the previous well-dried layer
To make a correct degree of light on the surface of an object for a certain texture stick to the followingrules In order to achieve a mat effect in the next layers you should use mixtures that are closest to the
tone of the dead underlayer whereby avoiding excessive contrast in transition from light to shadow
The matter is the surface the smoother the transition will be
On the contrary in order to achieve a glossy surface you should intensify the color raise the tone andreduce the lighted part of the surface
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Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Remember that in the last layer the glossiest surfaces will be those that have the lightest and sharpesthighlight Unlike the dead underlayer that is made rather mechanically in the color layer you begin to
think by means of the brush you paint objects wipe paint away with a cloth or with your fingers you tryvarious color mixtures
This is undoubtedly the creative part in our craftsmanship The main thing in this stage is not to overdoit You should leave some color in tone work for further layers
Remember that you wont find anything whiter than the white paint or redder than the red paint Thebrightest and sharpest highlights in the finished painting will be the sun reflected in the sparkles of water
the shiniest elements in our still life
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In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
In the jar we can see hints at the texture gray patches blackened at places cover areas where the glazewas lost
It is better to start with the white drape because it requires a greater amount of paint which therefore willtake a longer time to dry
The lightness of the white drape cant approach the light intensity of the water drops
Accordingly we express the whiteness of the white drape not by means of the intensity of the white
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color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
color but by means of the darkness of the objects around the drape
We paint the white drape in the color layer with little difference to the previous layer Orange beams ofthe imaginary sun color the bulging parts of the drape very delicately
From time to time add more fresh mixture to light areas in order to increase the thickness of the layer
The transition from light to shadow should be made as smoothly as possible transforming the dead colorof the underlayer into the emphatic bluishness of the half-tone contrasting with the orange light
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The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The folds of the drape are made according to their own laws In some places they form sharp anglesbetween which there are soft round folds We can view a highlight as reflecting the blue sky and the
shiny orange sun
Paint details of the ornament without going into the texture of the threads and the nap of the clothRemember that the mixture for painting the light areas of the white drape should be the same that is why
make a sufficient amount of that mixture
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As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
As you can see blending of the delicate tonal transitions of the drapes surface becomes particularlysignificant
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Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Compared to highlight the reflection is a hot glittering of a fireplace or candlelight The reflection isalways warmer than light Dont spare your efforts when blending the soft drape
As you can see there is little work in painting the shadows of the white drape because the half-tonereplaced the shadow The mixture for painting the white drape is made of the corresponding dead
mixture with a small addition of a lighter mixture so that you can achieve a mixture one half-tone higher
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In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
In the deep shadow that is not lit by the sunlight the drape is lighted by the imaginary fireplace to theright of us Be careful not to make the tone too highThe resulting mixture should be colored with
cadmium yellow deep and red ocher We can correct the dark areas of the drape only in the constructionof the folds the color and tone of the dead underlayer are quite satisfactory in the shadow Make the dark
edges non-existent even if you are painting the white drape using burnt umber ivory black andtransparent oxide red
Lemon takes a conspicuous place in the Flemish still life Very often you can hear people viewing OldMasters still lifes exclaim Look at this lemon It really makes me hungry
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Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Gastronomic reflexes are not at the last place in the perception of high art Hence a good advice treat thelemon you are painting as something delicious and not just a combination of yellow forms
The skin of the lemon is grainy and glossy The gloss on the lemon skin creates a symmetrical play ofhighlight constellations in the lighted area It is very difficult to make this texture in this layer All we
can do is to paint the color of the skin
While painting the skin use yellow ocher and cadmium yellow deep Make the tone darker in the lightedareas only with burnt umber In shadows to umber you can add ivory black
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The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The darkest places of the lemon skin should be blended with the background tone to avoid the unpleasantmonotony of the sharp contour Generally speaking always try to merge the borders of almost black with
almost white
The classical oil painting technique rests on three principles First the brush stroke shadowing secondlycorrection with a soft dry brush and thirdly blending with a large fluffy dry brush
Paint the lemon flesh with a mixture of Indian yellow and cadmium yellow deep closer to the shadowsadd transparent oxide red
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The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The flesh of a lemon is made of hundreds of transparent water balloons with amber yellow sour juicejoined into a single mass
Where the lemon was cut with a knife there is a microscopic play of highlights that can only be seenthrough a magnifying glass Forget the highlights for the time being Try to perceive the lemon as if
made of semi-transparent amber
The inner layer of the skin is soft and white so treat it as an ordinary opaque detail that has a highlightlight half-tone shadow and drop-shadow
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The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The membranes in the lemon flesh are less transparent and create an additional play of light and shadowWe can perform this task now
Lets make the wooden handle of the knife not very conspicuous in the general coloring of thecomposition
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Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (88 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Its construction should be painted with burnt umber and ivory black mixture
To paint the sharp tip of the blade use your sharpest brush The blade of the knife is like a mirror findthe reflections of the drape and the lemon on it
Apply the mixture carefully moving from the lightest area to the half-tone gradually decreasing thethickness of the applied paint
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Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Half-tones consist of their own light and shadow The lighter part of the half-tone that is closer to lightgets lighter and warmer
The darker part of the half-tone that is closer to the shadow gets darker and warmer
The pear is yellow in color but with an orange hue and is not so intensively yellow as the lemon
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It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (82 of 124) [05042000 04325]
II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
It has more visible dead underlayer in the light area that is why its color should be made closer to thedead underlayer tone
The gloss of the pears surface is not so shiny as the lemons Certain greenness in the half-tone makes animpression of sour yellow color and the sweetness of the pear is expressed with hot shadows
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The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
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The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (87 of 124) [05042000 04325]
by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (88 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (89 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The use of fingers for wiping away the applied paint can be an irreplaceable method of developing theprevious layer in order to create various hues of color and light
The porcelain plate has a misty mirror surface reflecting nearby details
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (81 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (82 of 124) [05042000 04325]
II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (83 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (84 of 124) [05042000 04325]
layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (85 of 124) [05042000 04325]
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (86 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (87 of 124) [05042000 04325]
by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (88 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (89 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (91 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
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The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
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By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
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Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
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Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
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Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The golden edging is also a mirror but more contrasting than porcelain The gold in the shadow is almostblack and brown in the light it is a mixture of yellow ocher and gray tone to tone Well discuss
highlights on the edging later
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
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Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
II Color LayerAnother method to make sure that the picture is well died is to scrape the canvas with a razor blade andsee if the paint comes off as shavings or as powder If it comes off as shavings the picture hasnt dried
well enough
In our case the painting has dried too much two months passed since the previous layer
The glossy surfaces will not absorb oil which means that the contact between the fresh layer and the drylayer will be bad and the movement of the brush will be handicapped
To eliminate this problem we can use an onion
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (83 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
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Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
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by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
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Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
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The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
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The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
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the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
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- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Onions ether oil will soften will soften the outer microscopic layer of the dry paint and will make thedry layer have good contact with the fresh paint
In the second color layer well be using flake white regular gray mixture ivory black burnt umberpermanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ocher yellow ocher cadmium yellow deep extra
fine Indian yellow and Prussian blue
The second color layer is made according to the general principal of the first color layer more light andmore color in the direction of the texture As you may have noticed during the drying period the color
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layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
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You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (86 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (87 of 124) [05042000 04325]
by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (88 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (89 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
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Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
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Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
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After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
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Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
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was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
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It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
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At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
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Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
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Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
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Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
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We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
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surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
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First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
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Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
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The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
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Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
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We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
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Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
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Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
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The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
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INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
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Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
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We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
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Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
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Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
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The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
layer has got dimmer This means that the top layer has become more transparent and got a little darkerdue to the dead layer We can now see more nuances in half-tones that were not visible immediately afterthe completion of the first color layer Dry your painting in the sun but dont leave it outside overnightThis was recommended by Old Masters because it accelerates drying and makes pigments a little more
transparent The sun makes paints lose lightfastness many times quicker than when the painting gets dryin the studio In this layer delicate nuances of light and shadow come into play more and moreTo createthis effect work with a light and a dark brush with a little difference in tone compared to the tone of the
underlayer
Here we begin to work on very small areas of light and shadow keeping in mind our general principle inlight areas add more light and more color in dark areas add more darkness and more color
We sort of repeat the work we did in the previous layer but we intensify light and color Some areas ofhalf-tones can be overpainted with semi-transparent mixtures with slight deviations in light or shadow
Now the flesh of the lemon is well prepared for making the texture Lets take open white with cadmiumyellow deep and the thinnest brush Now we must find the rhythm of tiny bubbles of the lemon flesh
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (85 of 124) [05042000 04325]
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (86 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (87 of 124) [05042000 04325]
by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (88 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (89 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (91 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
You can try making reflections with open cadmium yellow deep The light and shadow play achieved inthe previous layer prompts the movement of the brush
Lets emphasize the difference of the white flesh with cold mixtures
Try to recreate the softness of the white layer of the lemon skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (86 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (87 of 124) [05042000 04325]
by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (88 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (89 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (91 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Light touches of the fluffy dry brush may be very helpful
Once you have painted a lemon two or three times its texture will cause no difficulty for you Try toremember the proportions of your mixtures Dont make the same mistakes try to remember the
succession of operations keep a diary of your observations Theres no competition in the world ofclassical painting Thats why try to find artists holding similar views and study the classical technique
together Even Great Masters worked on their paintings together with other artists For example inRubens paintings many portraits were painted by Van Dyke and fruits and flowers by Snyders
Hypothetically the decay of classical painting began when artists stopped cooperating with each otherCraftsmanship in art can be called the science of painting in other words knowledge based on the use of
method and skill The science of painting was created by generations of artists during a few centuriesThe regeneration of classical painting depends on our joint efforts Unlike the modern school of painting
that calls for originality and uniqueness the classical school gives you the power of knowledge of themethod and rules accumulated for centuries and an army of admirers tired of the destructive ideas of themodern aesthetics admirers who long for simple and understandable beauty The success of a classical a
painting depends on the quality of the painting and to a smaller extent on the name of the artist Theviewers will evaluate the paintings artistic and technical quality on the basis of natural criteria of beautythat people are born with and not on the basis of false aesthetic views disseminated and imposed on us
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (87 of 124) [05042000 04325]
by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (88 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (89 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (91 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
by venal critics who run the art market An avant-garde artist can of course paint a lemon in the form ofa purple square But it will take some time to explain that the purple square is a lemon and even more
time to convince the viewer that it is beautiful Whatever shape and color the avant-garde artist choosesfor depicting a lemon the lemon will always remain yellow and sourThats why lets go back to our
lemon
The color of the lemon skin is not ready yet for painting the texture and according to our principlemore light and more color we paint the skin one more time
The most difficult part in painting a lemon is to depict the grainy skin Dont hurry in doing that try tofind the right size and proportion of the lemon skin pores
In addition we can identify a birthmark that will make our perfect lemon more life-like
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (88 of 124) [05042000 04325]
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (89 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (91 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Painting the pear again make it lighter and more colorful keeping the warmth of the orange color in itsyellowness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (89 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (91 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The pears blemishes painted with permanent madder deep burnt umber and Chinese vermilion speakof its sweetness and ripeness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (90 of 124) [05042000 04325]
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (91 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The warmth in the shadow breathes life into our fruits Blend your red brush strokes with the tender skinof the juicy pear
Highlights on glazed surfaces must be painted over a prior light-ray mixture with Prussian blue
The blue under the highlight is a kind of reflection of the blue sky around the bright orange sun The skyis reflected through the window thats why the blue shape under the highlight is like a rectangular shape
of the window
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (91 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Dust covering things produces a bad impression in everyday life in the classical painting however abluish coating of dust always looks attractive Thats why a little suggestion if you have any still life
objects dont remove dust from them
Now we are preparing the surface for a highlight Add some burnt umber to flake white cadmiumyellow and vermilion mixture so that the paint dries better for the next layer in which well paint the
highlight again with a greater intensity of light and color
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (92 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The glaze of the jar is not so glossy as lemon juice drops thats why it must be blended well
Your bright madder deep vermilion and red ocher strokes will remind the viewer that the flesh of the jaris made of brick-red clay As you can see there isnt much paint on the jar but it is sufficient to tell the
viewer about its true color
Now we are correcting the construction of the jar it is our last opportunity
The jars shadow is not just a mixture of black umber and madder It is the reflection on the glazed jar of
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (93 of 124) [05042000 04326]
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
the dark space of your room
Using the blending brush we begin making the porous texture of the jar We dip the very tips of thebrushs hairs in the thin mixture and then by touching gently the canvas with subsequent blending we
achieve the desired effect
In the same way we make tiny dots that are visible through the pear skin
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (94 of 124) [05042000 04326]
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
By means of careful blending you should make those dots hardly visible
The highlight is made with flake white cadmium yellow deep and a little vermilion Lets check oncemore the construction of the plate
Lets also check the construction of the knife with a very sharp brush
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (95 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Cover the lighter areas of the table top with vermilion and madder deep but keep in mind that it is notthe highlight yet its the color of the wood
With madder deep and ivory black deepen the shadows and check the construction
Use gray with some Persian blue to make the dust coating in the dips of the ornament Dust changes thecolor but not the shape that is why the dust coating should also have its light and shadow
This orange mixture is used not for highlights but for wood worn to lightness
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (96 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Having made corrections and blending lets now make cracks in the wood with the dark brush andcomplete them with the light brush with some more blending afterwards
In the unlighted areas the tonal step is much more gentle than in the lighted areas Lets intensify thehighlight on the background in color and tone
Theres always some blue on the border between the sharp drop shadow and light
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (97 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Closer to the texture the finishing layer blending is always livelier in order to create an additional playof light and shadow
Put the unused paint on another palette for the next days work and keep the palette in the fridgeKeeping the palette with paints in the fridge has the effect contrary to keeping the painting in the sun itll
help to keep your paints fresh
Remove the waste mixtures from the palette and then wash the palette and the brushes with paintthinner
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (98 of 124) [05042000 04326]
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
After that wash the brushes in warm water with dish soap that neutralizes any fat thus you will prepareyour brushes for the next days work
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
TextureWe are now beginning the last layer of the textureThe canvas dried during one month there wasnt much
paint and it has dried well
After the usual preparation we begin work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (99 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Well be using flake white regular gray mixture that we have been using since the dead underlayer ivoryblack burnt umber permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra red ochre yellow ochre cadmium
yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow transparent oxide red and Prussian blue
Work only on the lightest highlight areas of the drape
Be very attentive in accentuating the direction of folds and wrinkles of the drape
The sign of the drapes texture its nap is seen in the previous layers in which the contour of the drape
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (100 of 124) [05042000 04326]
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
was softened at places
At the texture stage the main role will be played by our thinnest brush Keep in mind that there is no andthere cannot be open white in the white drape The ornament should be made to the maximum possible
perfection
As before we are using our gray mixtures adding to them however more and more cadmium yellow andred ochre following our principle more light and more color with each layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (101 of 124) [05042000 04326]
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their final color and shape
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum an optical mix of colors due to thetranslucency of the layers
The correcting brush should be used very carefully without wide strokes Only after you make sure thatthe paint has been distributed accurately use the big blending brush
In painting the drape try to depict the most characteristic features of the fabric
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (102 of 124) [05042000 04326]
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
At this stage your picture has just been born and during all your lifetime it will be getting more andmore beautiful because all paints have the property of getting more and more transparent as time passesThe goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects as close to nature as possible but to compose abeautiful composition of color and tone Rely on the laws of painting more than on what you see in reallife Real life can give you good prompts particularly in such objects as a drape a rose or a face It is
very difficult to compose these objects the smallest falseness will make the drape look plastic andflowers cardboard But many other textures can be composed well
Theres one more advantage of the classical school we know precisely when the painting begins andwhen it is completed Many proponents of the realistic school suffer a lot because they dont know whento finish and very often they stop in the middle of the work Dont listen when you are advised top stop
painting because your picture looks very elegant You must carry on to the highlight The completedhighlight signals the end of the work
Now we will finish the jars pores that we began painting in the previous layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (103 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Be inventive in this stage but dont overdo it Give your viewer an opportunity to have a good look at thedetails
We are painting the sun in the center of its halo and a couple of little suns on the bends of the jar
Now the water drops To paint them use the color of the nearby darker tone of the surface
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (104 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Blend the painted base of the drop with the thinnest brush in the most careful way
Touch the drops highlight very gently with the tip of the paint that is hanging on the tip of the thinnestbrush and after that the spherical reflection of the highlight at the other side of the drop
Then also with great care blend your touches
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (105 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Lets invent a crack on the jar perhaps our village vessel will forgive us this flirtation Very delicatelymake blending with the big brush
The most difficult part in the finishing layer is the grainy skin of the lemon
In fact we are beginning and finishing it in this layer
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (106 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
We use a light brush with a considerable difference in tone and a mixture warmed with vermilion inorder to emphasize the yellowness of the skin with the warmth of the highlight
Dont make irregular thrusts with your brush Concentrate and find the proportion of the pores to thedistance between them
Take your time even if it will take you several days Give that time to the painting your painting andyour viewers will be grateful to you for your efforts If you have to delay your work until the next daywipe oil well from the surfaces that you didnt work on Before you begin work the next day oil these
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (107 of 124) [05042000 04326]
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
surfaces locally
Lets invent details that real life objects lack Make the lemon flesh sparkling For inspiration take alemon and cut some skin from it
Similarly paint the second lemon using the two brushes light and dark the same correcting brush withsubsequent blending
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (108 of 124) [05042000 04326]
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
First we make a bluish coating with the same highlight mixture of flake white cadmium yellow deepand vermilion dimmed with burnt umber and a little Prussian blue
Then we make the highlight and blend it to make the surface of the pear look mat
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (109 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Dont forget to make a hint at the bluishness of the sky when you paint highlights
Now the drops Use the color of the nearest shadow
The highlight of the drop is made with flake white with a little cadmium yellow deep
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (110 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The highlight of cold steel is of the same color as of cold water
We make final corrections Lets make the wood texture with a dark and a light brush with subsequentblending
The highlights are much darker than those of the jar dim the intensity of the highlights with burnt umber
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (111 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Think of an elegant signature Remember that your painting will live at least three or four hundred yearsand perhaps you will be judged by your descendants by your signature
Lets sprinkle the tabletop with a few drops of water
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (112 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
We can make the background a little livelier by showing a few areas of paint peeled off the wall Imaginethat the previous layer of paint on the wall was of a warmer hue
We make the areas where the paint peeled off the wall a little higher in tone
Now we work on these areas first with a dark brush then with a light brush and blend them after thatBlend well to prevent these areas from coming to the foreground
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (113 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Now we just used the opportunities of the air perspective
Lets once more light the highlight on the background
The gold in the painting must shine even if it isnt shining in real life or even if it isnt gold at all
The painting that is not varnished looks pleasant as it is you can display it that way too but yourcreation looks at its best only after varnishing
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (114 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Varnish saves the layers from all sorts of damage After drying the painting for at least six months youmust apply a cover varnish To show how to do it well use another painting because our still life hasnt
dried yet Clean the surface from dust and apply varnish in quick and confident movements
Cover the canvas with the regular non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
Keep the painting in the horizontal position for at least one day it will make brush strokes spread on thesurface evenly
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (115 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The process of painting is finished From this moment never expose the painting to the open sun
One may think that the classical painting technique takes too much time and efforts But if you work onseveral paintings simultaneously then after a few months you may be completing almost one painting a
day
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (116 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
ConclusionLets make a brief review of what we have done
Why did we choose this particular painting technique from a variety of Renaissance painting methodsAnyone visiting Renaissance halls in the museum can notice that some paintings look as fresh as if theywere just painted so bright and fresh their colors are In other pictures paints faded grew gray or browndetails are hardly seen The reason is in the painting technique employed by the Renaissance artist Astime passes oil paints become more and more transparent that is why paintings executed on the white
canvas with umber underlayer look as fresh as if they were just made because umber underlayerpractically does not fade at all and the white canvas remains white unlike paintings made on gray ordark brown priming For the same reason you should be very careful with all sorts of corrections in oilpainting Any radical correction will become visible Thus in The Portrait of Philip IV on Horseback
by Velasquez exhibited in the Madrid gallery you can see eight legs because the artist not satisfied withthe original position of the legs overpainted them to be covered with the tone of the ground
Accordingly in order not to lose face with your descendants make all your compositional decisions asearly as in the pencil drawing
You must have as many brushes as you can afford
Kolinsky brushes wear out very fast thats why use a palette knife to make mixtures on the palette whenpossible
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (117 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Please pay attention to how useful old brushes can be An old flat kolinsky brush with worn out hair canbe used as a semi-dry brush You can use it to apply paint to blend and to remove excessive paint After
applying a sufficient amount of paint use a correcting or blending brush
The main tools in our work were kolinsky brushes They are very goods for both applying paint and fordry brush correction WE used kolinsky brushes of different sizes from size 0 to 1 inch
Applying paint with a kolinsky brush try to use the very tip of the brush imitating pencil or pen strokesBegin each element of the still life slowly and carefully starting with more important details Dont try to
paint the chosen area in one go leave the original brown ink drawing so that you can see the guidecontour as long as possible
For blending and correction we used squirrel camel pony hair and soft synthetic brushes
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (118 of 124) [05042000 04326]
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
We used palette knives for priming for making large amounts of the dead underlayer mixtures and formaking small amounts of mixtures on the palette
Our regular set of paints was flake white yellow ochre red ochre burnt umber Prussian blue and lampblack Additional paints that are safe to use are permanent madder deep Chinese vermilion extra
transparent oxide red cadmium yellow deep extra fine Indian yellow and ivory black
The working medium for the imprimatura is made of 20 parts of turpentine and one part of damarvarnish The working medium used in all other layers is composed of approximately 2 parts of
turpentine 1 part of damar varnish and one drop of lavender oil Use pure damar varnish as the covermedium
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (119 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Canvas We used ultra-smooth cotton canvas
For priming we used a mixture of 1 part of priming gesso and 1 part of modeling paste Prime thecanvas
to the degree of egg-shell smoothness
Overdraw the pencil drawing with water-based brown ink
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (120 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Imprimatura
From now on oil the canvas and remove excessive oil before each layer
Imprimatura is the middle tone of the lightest area of the painting It is made of yellow ochre lamp blackwith some Prussian blue and burnt umber
Umber underlayer
Before you begin each layer make sure it is well dried it takes from one week to one month dependingon the climate you live in From now on scrape the well dried canvas with a round-corner razor blade
before each layer
In this layer you work on shadows Make the general tone of the painting using burnt umber andworking in several stages
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (121 of 124) [05042000 04326]
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
The dead underlayer
is made with mixtures of flake white yellow ochre lamp black burnt umber and Prussian blue Redochre is optional
The main goal is to develop half-tones more light in light areas more darkness in shadows Half-tonesare made as accurate as possible
First color layer
From now on our main principle is more light and more color in light areas more darkness and color inshadows The color layer is painted with the dead underlayer mixtures with colors added to them
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (122 of 124) [05042000 04326]
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
Second color layer
The same process as in the first color layer with one difference the painted areas are smaller and morenumerous The goal of the second color layer is to prepare the surfaces for highlights
Texture
The goal is to identify the character of highlights in relation to the degree of texture reflection and topaint them We complete the painting with working on details and the signature
We have finished work on our still life In this course we have discussed the foundations of the classicalpainting technique on the basis of a simple composition Now you can see some of my paintings that Imade during the last few years In my future video courses well discuss more complicated textures of
larger still lifes and portraits Well trace the evolution of the Renaissance painting technique I will sharewith you the secrets of Old Masters and all my discoveries and findings about the lost school of classicalpainting I thank you for your interest in the painting technique that I believe has not been surpassed inthe entire history of art I will be very grateful for your questions suggestions and criticism and I wish
you good luck in your work
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (123 of 124) [05042000 04326]
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-
INTRODUCTION COMPOSITION PRIMING THE CANVAS DRAWING IMPRIMATURA I UMBER UNDERLAYER II UMBER
UNDERLAYER DEAD UNDERLAYER I COLOR LAYER II COLOR LAYER FINISHING LAYERS CONCLUSION
fileC|artcom0000book2big1arthtm (124 of 124) [05042000 04326]
- Local Disk
-
- Welcome to 1artcom Teaching Zone
- Composition
- Priming the canvas
- Drawing
- Imprimatura
- I Umber Underlayer
- II Umber Underlayer
- Dead Underlayer
- I Color Layer
- II Color Layer
- Texture
- Conclusion
-