What about Technique?

A work in Progesss:
From one point of view, how can painting be about anything but light?  
Thus, it does not matter so much what one paints, but rather how one paints it, for example, light on the teacup is good, but light within the teacup is even better!  Becoming familiar with the technique of oil painting means also understanding the unique possibility of employing translucency to create beautiful effects of light.  Eastlake noted, "The leading attribute of the material of oil painting, as distinguished from those of tempera and fresco, viz. [is] its power to transmit light of an internal surface through superimposed substances more or less diaphanous....".

After years of experimentation and study, I have come to a technique that at least allows for the possibility of fine painting, in my case landscapes.  I'll try to describe it briefly here below using illustrations from a current project, the Sint Annarei here in Brughes.  I've worked up studies of this canal from the top of the canal looking south describing afternoon light.

What is important is maintaining my inner vision; what I find beautiful about a particular place, at a particular time of the day, in other words, the light.  Remembering, that landscape can be defined in at least four ways:

• Compositionally (lines that ground one or draw one in),
• Chromatically (colors that bring one forward or push one back),
• Value (lights and darks that pull one forward or push one back) and
• Detail (focal length in combination with object size)

so a good landscape combines all of these elements, plus a little mystery....

Egg tempera
Some basics on painting with eggs.

Mixed technique
from the Ecole des Beaux Art, Paris.

Fresco
Some basics of painting fresco and fresco secco.

Encaustic
Some new expereince with an old technique.