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Fresco

February 4, 2020 by Dan Scott Leave a Comment

Raphael, The School of Athens, c. 1509-11

Fresco is a form of mural painting used to produce grand and often beautiful works on plaster. One of the most famous examples is the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo.  Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, c.1512 The word “fresco” means “fresh” in Italian, referring to the damp lime plaster which frescos are typically painted on.…

Écorché

December 17, 2019 by Dan Scott Leave a Comment

Leonardo da Vinci, Écorché Drawing

Bonus Download: New to painting? Start with my free Beginner’s Guide to Painting. What is Écorché Écorché (which means “flayed” in French) refers to anatomical studies of human or animal forms without skin, having the underlying muscles and tissues exposed. The term is not specific to any medium—it could refer to a drawing, painting, sculpture,…

Representational Art

August 26, 2019 by Dan Scott 1 Comment

Wassily Kandinsky, On White II, 1923

Bonus Download: New to painting? Start with my free Beginner’s Guide to Painting. What is Representational Art? Representational art refers to art which represents something, whether that be a tree in a landscape, apple in a still life, or figure in a portrait. Or in other words, it is art which is clearly identifiable as something…

Raking Light

August 26, 2019 by Dan Scott Leave a Comment

Juan Sánchez Cotán, Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber, 1602

Raking light refers to a light source which is set at an acute or nearly parallel angle to objects in a painting. Objects being hit by raking light will be half in light and half in shadow and will have long cast shadows. Surrealist artists like Salvador Dali and Giorgio de Chirico used raking light…

Triptych Art

August 1, 2019 by Dan Scott 1 Comment

Frederick McCubbin, The Pioneer, 1904

Triptych refers to art that is made up of three panels. The term originates from the Greek word ‘triptykhos’, meaning ‘three-layered’ or ‘three folds’.  The panels that form a triptych are often attached to one another with hinges, allowing the two outer panels (or wings) to fold inward and cover the central panel. However, contemporary triptychs…

Dappled Light

July 19, 2019 by Dan Scott 34 Comments

Ilya Repin, Alley in the Park, Kachanivka, 1880

Bonus Download: Before diving into this post, make sure you grab my free Landscape Painting Starter Kit. Dappled light refers to that spotted light which typically comes through gaps in a tree canopy. Below is a great example by Claude Monet—notice the spots of light orange amongst the dark purple shadows. Claude Monet, Garden Path,…

Contrapposto

May 4, 2019 by Dan Scott Leave a Comment

Michelangelo, David, 1501-1504 - Contrapposto

Contrapposto is Italian for “opposite” or “counter”. In art, it refers to the natural standing position of the human body, with weight leaning on one leg and a shift in the body to counter this. Michelangelo’s David is a perfect example of this. Putting the weight on one leg forces David’s hips, spine and shoulders…

Chiaroscuro

March 30, 2019 by Dan Scott 3 Comments

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and her Maidservant, 1625

Bonus Download: New to painting? Start with my free Beginner’s Guide to Painting. What Is Chiaroscuro? Chiaroscuro refers to the use of light and dark to create the illusion of three-dimensional volume on a flat surface. The term translates to “light-dark”; chiaro meaning bright or clear and scuro meaning dark or obscure. The term is…

Sfumato

March 25, 2019 by Dan Scott Leave a Comment

Correggio, Noli Me Tangere, c.1525

Bonus Download: Grab my free Color Theory Cheat Sheet. What Sfumato Means Sfumato is a painting technique which involves blending the edge between colors so that there is a soft transition. The term “sfumato” is Italian which translates to soft, vague or blurred. The technique was popularized by the old masters of the Renaissance art movement,…

Color Schemes in Art

March 7, 2019 by Dan Scott Leave a Comment

Analogous Color Scheme

Bonus Download: Grab my free Color Theory Cheat Sheet. What Are Color Schemes in Art? A color scheme is used to describe the overall selection of colors in an artwork. The major color schemes in art are analogous, complementary, split-complementary, triadic, rectangular and monochromatic. These color schemes utilize colors at certain locations on the color wheel.…

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