Understanding The Term ‘Impressionism.’
Impressionism is a 19th century Art movement. The characteristic is small and thin brush strokes that are barely visible. It has an open composition, and the painter depicts light in its changing qualities. The subject matter is ordinary, but they have included movement in it. Unusual visual angles are an essential aspect of this form of art. These artists who use the technique try to record visual reality through the transient effects of light and color.
A Brief History Of Impressionism
This style of painting emerged in the mid to late 1800s. It emphasizes the artist’s impression of a scene or moment.
Claude Monet used impressionist painting in his ‘Impression- Sunrise.’ Edgar Degas also used impressionist painting in his ‘Ballet Class.’ Both painters used modern life as their subject matter, and they captured light and movement in a way that no other painter had ever done before. They were met with profound criticism but made their way through it victoriously.
The first exhibition of such paintings was in 1874.
Impressionism was a new way of seeing the world and bringing color and perspective into art. The subject matter is about modern life. The painters used unique synthetic pigments and mixed their colors on canvas rather than in palettes. They painted rapidly on wet-on-wet colors. They invented a new technique called broken colors. It meant that they left gaps in the top layer of colors to reveal the colors below them.
The Main Characteristics Of Impressionism
1. Broken color
2. Loose brushwork
3. Relaxed and inaccurate drawing
4. Capturing the fleeting environment
5. Placing yourself in the painting
Some Tips To Paint Like An Impressionist
1. Since broken color creates an impression of depth and movement, that’s what is needed. It creates an intensity that people can see from a distance.
Instead of painting the sky as a standard blue, Monet used a variety of colors like broken yellows, purples, blues, and greens. There was always a dominant color and many accent colors in Claude Monet’s paintings.
2. You have to use bold strokes to guide your viewers around the canvas. We can see it in the famous paintings of Vincent Van Gogh.
3. You need to use larger brushes than what you use to make as few strokes as possible. This technique will help you to generalize shapes and colors. It is an essential aspect of this kind of painting.
4. Your palette knife is an exciting time. You can use it to create compelling and dramatic effects. You can use it to create large areas or even small details like highlights to your paintings. For example, you can create a marvelous effect of snow on the snow-capped mountains with a palette knife.
5. It would help if you used a combination of warm and cold colors. For example, if you have a grey background, you can create a dramatic effect with a bright yellow object in the foreground.
6. Decide which aspect of your painting needs the most attention. Keep that as your primary focus and simplify the rest of it. You want to draw attention to the right elements.
Inspiration for Imagination and Creativity 