The evolution of a painting of Dieppe Harbour through pencil sketches and to watercolour rough, and some problems of his oil techniques.
oil paint
With a reputation for being an impulsive and rapid painter, evidence from IR reflectography shows how this painting evolved as it was being made.
Two paintings of simple everyday domestic scenes were not as quickly made as might appear. Series of preparatory sketches show more.
Oils were king until the 1960s, when acrylic paints became readily available. How do they differ from oils, though?
Since the decline of egg tempera and fresco in the Renaissance, oil paints have predominated. They rely on drying oils as their binder, which give them longevity and versatility.
A summary chronology of the major milestones in the history of oil painting, with copious illustrations from the masters.
Finally, we start to understand how oil paint works – just as Modernist painters seem determined to stop it from working at all.
In America, geographic isolation and growing freedom led to the craft of oil painting being smothered by artistic intent. Here are some results.
Oil sketches and studies became accepted as works of art. But not all Impressionist paintings have survived as well as they should.
Turner’s innovation was driven by his desire to explore colour contrasts and texture. But it led him to lapses in technique which have damaged his paintings.
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