MASTER TECHNIQUES
TOP Martin Kinnear,
Regeneration,
oil on canvas,
153x153cm
ABOVE Martin
Kinnear, Floral,
oil on canvas,
101x91cm
“Another old oil
painting was
reworked, adding
interest to the
surface”
The Old Masters – and some good
contemporarily artists – routinely
exploited the optical potential of
paints to make better pictures. It’s
something that a reproduction of an
image just can’t do, and the reason
that most paintings are far better on
the wall than in reproduction. If your
subject is a photograph and your
aspiration is to reproduce how it
looks, then you’re really missing out.
A typical optical sequence simply
involves alternating more opaqueCHECKLIST
TOP TIPS FROM
TODAY’SSESSIONReinventoldmethods
Questionyourassumptions
Tryworkingindirectly
Workina sequence
Makeeachlayercount
Use plenty of contrast on
theinitiallayers
Experiment by painting over
old, dry workslayers of colour with more translucent
paint ones of a different colour to
create interesting, contrasting
effects. Yes, it can become complex
than that, if one uses lots of different
mediums, but at its heart opacity is a
simple principle.
If direct painting has a virtue, it is
that it is hard for it not to look punchy
and simple. Conversely, by its layered,
optical nature, indirect painting will
naturally lend itself to something more
complex and nuanced. So, just asartists must work to add that nuance
to a direct painting, one must take
trouble to keep indirect work punchy.
Visual strength starts by obeying
the same principles that have always
informed good painting – specifically
strong visual design, supported by
structural value, and good colour.
Indirect painting adds greater optical
quality to this, a benefit much harder
to exploit in direct oils.INDIRECT CHALLENGE
The easiest way to experiment with
indirect painting is to work over any
old, thoroughly dry paintings you have
in your studio and perhaps aren’t
completely happy with. Simply mix up
some paint so that it’s not absolutely
opaque and work over your old work.
It’s really important to start with a
strong underpainting, as layering will
generally reduce contrast, so try
working over old pieces which are
a little overstated and avoid more
muted pieces.
You will find the original work will
contribute to any new painting you
do over it, creating an effect which
couldn’t have been achieved in a
single layer. You’ll also see that the
colours you choose for the new layer
are modified by those below them,
creating nuanced optical mixes, which
again couldn’t be made from a simple
wet-into-wet mix.
It’s OK to do this crudely by mixing
your oils with solvents, but to get
some of the more nuanced effects
you’ll need to use a bit more craft –
something we will cover later
in this series.
Martin is course director of
the Norfolk Painting School.
http://www.norfolkpaintingschool.com
Artists & Illustrators 51