Painting techniques

„ A summary of painting techniques, their specifications and a simple definition of painting.”

Here is an explanation about what generally painting is and simply what is painting painting techniques and related specifications. I also explain about realism, expressionism, impressionism, cubism and abstract paintings. In the area of painting technique my explanations include oil painting, watercolor painting, acrylic painting, gouache and pastel. It would be my pleasure if you visit my painting products in my site

Painting

Painting is the combination of elements such as colors, lines and shapes in a flat surface. Something which is important in this combination is light direction. Painter must pay attention to direction of the light in painting and show it with dark and light colors or shadows in drawing. Combination of the elements of painting must in a way that emotions and feelings of the painter will be expressed for audiences.

Painters try to select a different language in making relationship with others which is not a verbal language. It is visual language. It means they believe that sometimes an image or a picture is more effective in exchanging of ideas than speech. When an artwork is created the painters can immortalize their own mentality and slogan forever and exchange it to many audiences.

Painting has started in ancient times when early humans painted pictures of their daily activities on caves and used painting instead of writing language. Then human gradually learnt that how he can use painting for explanation of his emotions or recording of what he see of real life or his mentality. It is what simply led him to create different types and different techniques of painting.

Realism

In realism , the painter try to draw the reality of the objects exactly as they really are .The basis of this style is having simplicity and honesty in the way of looking and in the way of thinking toward objects of painting. The painter try to submit the reality of shapes and colors without any exaggerations. Realism was the artistic movement of 1840’s and almost coincided with the French Revolution.

Expressionism

In expressionism, the painter try to show a kind of exaggeration in colors and shapes in a way that the objects are not in their real shapes and colors. This method is opposite to natural or real world and try to show just the emotions and feelings of the painter clearly as possible. The painter try to express this aim by changing of shapes, exaggerating, primitive and violence. This style is belong to 19th century mostly in Germany and followed by France and Russia.

Impressionism painting

The painter in this painting use visible brush strokes for showing colors and shapes and this is a kind of depiction of quick passing of the time. Impressionism is depiction of perception and experience of the painter from the moment or moments of the image. The painter has to show this quick passing of time by quick brush strokes to create pieces of colors on the surface of painting and sometimes he has no enough time to mix colors accurately. Impressionism remind us the beautiful shinning of light in mind.

Cubism

Cubism is giving geometric volumes to different parts of one object in irregular way. In this painting there is no usual perspectives of painting. The painter destroy the conventional perspective of images and reassemble all of objects again in his own new geometric shapes. In this way image has multiple perspective instead of one single perspective. This art movement was related to early of 20th century and transformed most of the arts such as music, literature, architecture and painting.

Abstract painting

Abstract is a form of painting which is in the mind and thoughts of the painter and has no physical existence in real world and it is not real. In abstract painting, the painter only use his creative mind for depicting of drawing and there is no simulation and imitation of nature and there is no natural world in it.

Painting Techniques

Depending on interests and skills, the painter select one or several techniques or mediums of painting. This selection also depend on the features and flexibility of a technique. Some painting techniques have faster function in drawing an image and some techniques are more capable for mixing and processing of colors. And also some techniques have better results on some particular images.

Oil painting

In oil painting technique, the painter works with oil color which takes longer time to dry. So the painter is more capable in playing with colors on the surface of canvas. Also the painter have more time to correct the mistakes of painting. In this technique the painting tools is brush and painting spatula which both are in different sizes and models. The manufactures of oil color mix pigment of colors with a kind of drying oil like linseed oil, walnut oil and poppy seed oil. These oils are binding agent for color pigments.

Watercolor painting

Watercolor is water soluble. The painter must add water to color when drawing. Because the color are floating on the water, the painter can simply move colors by brush on the surface of painting and create beautiful shapes by flowing the color. Also the painter can adjust the amount of mixing water in color and make dark and light colors. The painter can create layers of one specific color from light to dark and this way creates shadows in image.

Acrylic painting

The color of acrylic painting is acrylic color which is a water color base. Compared to the oil paints, this color dries very quickly so it is suitable for those who are interested in fast painting with attractive and very bright colors of acrylic . The painter can use texture for the base of acrylic painting. Texture is a kind of soft paste that is used under the main color to create beautiful protruding shapes on canvas surface.

This medium is used actually for modern and decorative paintings. In decorative paintings something that is very important for the painter is speed in creating artworks. In fact modern and decorative painting are type of painting in which the painter must convey his thoughts and attitudes quickly on the canvas. Sometimes the beauty of modern painting is just due to a quick painting method by quick stroke of brush or quick stroke of spatula on the surface of the canvas. In this regard, acrylic is like impressionism painting type.

Gouache

Like watercolor, gouache is diluted with water in the time of drawing. But because the percentage of the pigment is more, so the painting is not so transparent and it is opaque and thick. This color is water soluble and you can simply wash the painting tools with water. Because of more density of color pigments in gouache color, there is no need to add water to make light and dark colors. You can simply add white color to main color for making varieties of color.

Pastel

Pastel is a kind of soft colored chalk that is used to make color in painting. It is produced by pigments and a binding agent. If the binding agent is oil so the pastel is oil pastel and if the binding agent is gum the pastel is soft pastel. The painter must choose one of them because both together do not work well. You can simply make shadow of painting by pastel like shadows of pencil and you can also use your finger to create light or dark shadows.

Finally

In this article I learnt about important principles of painting types and techniques and their differences. I also mentioned the reason of choosing one specific technique by a painter. Hopping you had good time with this article and be successful in painting always. Please don’t hesitate to contact me in any question about my oil and acrylic painting products.