Painting Guide

Painting Guide

Painting suggests a real or imaginary world through the use of colored strokes. In art, creativity is essential. Artists express it by employing unique techniques that give their works a distinct identity on a canvas. The canvas consists of a support, a fine layer of sizing, the ground, the medium or pictorial layer, and a varnish.

Diagram of the different layers of a panel.

Glossary

Primer : A primer is a neutral layer of material applied to a painting surface to make it less absorbent and prevent it from altering the appearance and consistency of the paint. A canvas is said to be "primed" when a protective and durable layer isolates the fabric from the medium.

Camaïeu : This term refers to a technique that plays on the different shades of a single color or closely related colors. It creates effects of depth, volume, and texture by focusing solely on variations in tone and intensity of a color, rather than using a broad range of colors.

Sizing : Sizing is a glue, usually animal-based, that fills the pores of wood or the weave of canvas. It isolates the cellulose fiber from oil and allows for some stabilization and waterproofing of the support.

Ground : The ground is a preparatory product made from gesso, rabbit skin glue, or plaster.

Technique : In art, technique refers to the manner in which a work is created, emphasizing the techniques, materials, and gestures used by the artist. It encompasses both the visible aspects of the creative process, such as brush strokes, textures, and finishes, as well as the technical choices that influence the final appearance of the artwork.

Gesso : This is a ground made from plaster or gypsum mixed with animal glue, used since ancient Egypt for painting wooden figurines. It was polished during the Renaissance to enhance its pictorial effect.

Glaze : Artists often used transparent colored layers called glazes to overlay colors and create effects of depth, light, and transparency. This involved applying very thin layers of diluted paint with a medium made from drying oil, linseed oil, and turpentine.

Impasto : Impasto is a technique where paint is applied directly to the canvas without dilution, using a knife or brush. Typically, the artist mixes colors directly to achieve the desired tone. Impasto is often employed by artists to convey deep emotion, with Vincent Van Gogh being a famous example. This technique is also popular in abstract art.

Intarsia, Intaglio : Techniques used for encaustic painting and engraving to insert or integrate a color into another using a gouge.

Binder : The binder is the material that gives cohesion to the paint by mixing it with pigments. It can be natural or synthetic, translucent or opaque, liquid or solid. Depending on its chemical nature, it modifies drying time, gloss, thickness, durability, and viscosity of the paint.

Medium : In painting, the medium refers to the pictorial layer made up of pigments and a diluent that allows for thickening without altering colors.

Pigment : Pigments are key components of paint that are difficult to dissolve in water. They are finely ground particles, either natural or synthetic, that give paint its characteristic hue.

Preparation : Preparations are categorized into lean rigid, lean flexible, and fat (fat being a mixture of oil and pigments). Each of these preparations has specific aging properties, distinct vulnerabilities, and suitable restoration types. Even if a preparation presents issues, it's essential to first ensure the rigidity and stability of its support, as stability is crucial for any operation on the preparation to succeed.

Repentir : In art, a "repentir" refers to a modification or correction made by the artist during the creation of their work. Repentirs can manifest as superimposed layers of paint, composition adjustments, or alterations in details. One of the most famous examples is Courbet's "The Wounded Man," where he removes his lover from the painting to replace her with a sword and a bloodstain on the painter's heart.

Reserve : The reserve of a work is a part that is not covered by paint.

Drying Agent : A drying agent is a substance added to paint, typically containing lead or zinc salts, to accelerate the drying process.