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What defines a quintessential Impressionist painting? Think noticeable brushstrokes, bright and bold hues, focus on light, ordinary subject matter and asymmetry. In this blog, VR School of Art, one of the leading drawing classes and oil painting classes in North York, Ontario, explores these characteristics in detail.
While subtle brushstrokes and blending were considered the conventional approach, Impressionist painting focuses on broad and noticeable brushstrokes. This technique is taught in oil painting lessons to better understand the transitional nature of light. It is also much faster to paint this way, enabling painters to capture scenery quickly before the natural light changes drastically.
Instead of blending different oil paints to get the desired colour, this style of painting sees the use of pure colours that are closely bunched together on the canvas to create the intended effect from afar.
Light takes center stage in Impressionist paintings. Owing to its transitional nature, the interplay of light and subjects is quite challenging to capture accurately. This is why this principle is taught constantly in oil painting lessons until the desired result is achieved.
Instead of capturing grandiose scenery and imagery, the focus is on natural, everyday scenes, be it in nature, of still life, or an idyllic activity such as boating and picnics.
Lastly, asymmetry is a key feature of Impressionist paintings as they emulate a candid photograph in many ways. The idea is to capture a moment in time without the knowledge of the subject. This is why asymmetry is a planned feature of this type of art.
Impressionism is an advanced and appealing school of art that is taught in many oil painting classes due to the features mentioned above. To learn more about this form, contact us at VR School of Art today. As one of the best drawing classes in North York, we also offer landscape painting classes, drawing classes for kids, portraiture and many other disciplines. Get in touch with us at 647-894-7706 for more details.
These paintings come from the Impressionist art movement that originated in France in the 1860s.
To master Impressionist painting, focus on broken colour, broad brushstrokes, bold colours, high colour contrast and simplistic themes.