Relevant Artistic Techniques of Impressionism
In order to illuminate the brilliance of natural light and the vibrancy of colour in their paintings, impressionists used several painting techniques, which are outlined below.
Usage of pure pigments:
- Only primary colours of red, green, blue, yellow, and violet were used
- No earth tones of brown or black
- No shades or tints – this means that the mixing of black or white into the painting is avoided, to produce a black colour, the mixing of complementary colours is used instead
- Brushstrokes are solid strokes of colour
Application of colour:
- Colours are applied with little mixing, such that a full range of colour percepts can be produced in the eye from colour interactions
- Small patches of colour are not only for local surface colour, but for colour sensations
- Rejection of chiaroscuro, which is the use of light and dark values to create effects of modeling
- Usage of peinture claire, which is the priming of the canvas with white or cream-coloured paint, making pigments appear lighter and brighter
Painting strokes:
- Short and thick strokes applied impasto, which is when the paint is applied onto the canvas very thickly such that the brushstroke remains visible
- Wet paint is applied onto wet paint, this allows the colours to intermingle and produces soft edges
- Paint is applied in separate patches, therefore the painting is slowly built up in layers