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 – What It Means, How to Use It and Master Painting Examples
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 also used in a more narrow sense to describe artworks which display an…
Sfumato – What It Means, How to Use It and Master Painting Examples
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, like Leonardo da Vinci, who used it to…
Color Schemes in Art
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. Before I get into it, I should point…
Broken Color and Optical Color Mixing
What is Broken Color? Broken color in art refers to the technique of building up layers of different colors on the canvas in a way which allows lower layers to be exposed. This usually involves painting with small dabs of color until the canvas is filled. The end result can appear like a vibration of…
Painterly – What It Means, How to Use It and Master Painting Examples
What Does Painterly Mean? Painterly is a term which describes a set of qualities which are perceived as being distinct to the art of painting. These qualities include the use of color, stroke and texture. The term was popularised by Swiss art historian Heinrich Wölfflin, who used it to describe the characteristics of paintings. A…
Grisaille
Grisaille is a monochrome painting executed entirely in different shades of gray or a grayish tone. ‘Gris’ is a french term for gray. Paintings in a brown scale are referred to as brunaille and paintings in a green scale are referred to as verdaille. Grisaille was typically used during the Renaissance period as a stand alone painting…
Bloom
Bloom refers to a phenomenon which occurs on a varnished surface of a painting if kept in damp conditions. This results in dull and cloudy areas on top, or sometimes below the varnish. Blooming is basically a result of moisture building up on the painting. It if occurs on top of the varnished surface, you may…
Cool/Warm
Cool/warm generally refers to the position of a color on a color wheel. Half of the color wheel is cool (purple to green) and the other half is warm (green-yellow to red). By using colors just from either the warm or cool side of the color wheel, you can achieve interesting color harmonies. For example,…
Blocking In
Blocking in refers to an initial painting process of blocking in the general colors and shapes on your canvas. This is a starting procedure used mostly for oil painting. The purpose of blocking in is to lay down the general composition and color harmony without having to worry about the tedious details. You can really get…
