Build WORKSHOP
Realisminpaintingreliesfirstandforemostonskillindrawing.This
issomethingeveryartstudentlearnsquicklyupontakingthatfirst
figure-paintingclass.Italsosoonbecomesclearthatwhiledrawing
isnecessary,it’snotsufficienttomakethesuccessfultransitionto
paintingsincethismediumhasitsowntechnicaldemands.Some
artistsfinda crossoverapproachbydrawingandshadinginfullcolor
withpastels,a mediumthatreliesonconceptsandtechniquesofboth
drawingandpainting.Workinginpastels,however,requirespur-
chasingandcaringfora largesetofpastelsticksandprotectingthe
delicateartworkcreatedwiththismedium—nottomentionlearning
howtohandlesomeinherentrenderingchallenges.
There’sanotherapproachthatstraddlesthegapbetweendrawing
andpainting.Peintureà l’essence(paintingwithessence),inventedand
perfectedbyFrenchartistEdgarDegas(1834–1917)is anoilpainting
techniqueinwhicha largeamountofthelinseedoilinthepaintis
drainedawaybysoakingit onabsorbentpaper.Thisoil-reducedpaintis
thenthinnedwithsolvent.Degas,aninveterateexperimenter,usedthis
methodtobridgethegapbetweendrawing,whichheloved,andpaint-
ing,whichappearstohavebeena never-endingsourceoffrustration
forhim.InthebookDegas:AnIntimatePortrait(Crown,1937),Degas’
dealer,AmbroseVollard,recountstheartist’scomplaintsaboutoils:
“OnedayI arrivedatDegas’studioashewasgettinga canvasready.He
wasallatsixesandsevens.‘Whata cursedmediumis oilanyway!Howis
onetoknowthebestcanvastouse—rough,mediumorfine?Andasfor
thepreparation,is whiteleadbetter,orglue?Shouldtherebeonelayer,
twoorthree?’...Hewouldstrugglewithcanvasfora whileandthengo
backtopastel.‘I willnevertoucha brushagain,’hewoulddeclare.Then,
asif luredbyitsverydifficulties,hewouldreturntooiloncemore.”
Peintureà l’essenceprovidedDegasthesatisfactionofdrawingwith
hisneedtousecolor.I thoughtI wouldtryit,sinceI knowtoowellthe
frustrationsofoilpainting.EXPLORING MEDIA
The Best of Two Worlds
ANDREW S. CONKLIN tests Edgar Degas’
part-drawing, part-painting technique—peinture à l’essence.Materials
PAINTING SURFACE:
illustration board sized with
rabbit-skin glue
TRANSFER MATERIALS:
· Saral transfer paper
· colored pencil
PAINT APPLICATORS:
· watercolor brushes: small
round, ⅛ - to 1-inch
synthetic flats and painting
knife
OILS:
· Cremnitz white
· Mars black
· raw umber
· Spanish earth
· transparent earth yellow
· burnt sienna
· Naples yellow
· rose madder
· Venetian red
· neutral tint
· cadmium red
· brown ochre
· yellow green
· cerulean blue
MEDIUM: Gamsol
OTHER:
· translucent drawing paper
· graphite pencil
· coffee filtersCassandra in Black Beret
essence on panel, 14½ x10½ANDREW S. CONKLIN earned a BFA from
the American Academy of Art, in Chicago.
He attended the National Academy of Design
and the Art Students League of New York
before earning an MFA from the Academy of
Art University, in San Francisco. Gallery Victor
Armendariz, in Chicago, represents his work.
For more information, visit cargocollective.com/andrewsconklin.26 Artists Magazine April 2020