Art lesson - abstract and texture painting
This use of excessive body in paint took off with the development of cheap mass produced paint in the early and
mid-eighteen hundreds. One of the first exponents of this 'impasto' method was Turner and his use of white.
Turner would often sculpt some landscape element in heavy impasto, wait for it to dry then coat and wipe with
successive transparent galzes. The depressions and cracks would fill and the highlights would realise their
sculptured effect. Also the galze over the white would make it glow - even more so if even more galze and
white was later applied.STUDENT ACTIVITY: The ultimate weapon in this texture effect is the pallet knife. If you would like to
experiment with this you will get remarkable effects by treating your canvas like a mud heap and shovelling
paint around with the knife. Create loose forms if you like. Stop just before the colors completely disappear into
a mass of grey mud. Now take some pure color and with the knife gently fold it into the mixture - blending in
some areas and in others leaving a few of the edges sharp. Be liberal with your paint but just use a small
surface ... Allow 40min.Then there is the dragged dry brush or scumble effect, mainly in the distant sky (dry the oil out of the paint on
blotting paper if you need to).Or the slick oily in the bottom half of my rose painting (adding more oil or medium to your paint).http://www.geocities.com/~jlhagan/lessons/abstract.htm (3 of 4)1/13/2004 3:51:44 AM