Christ Supported by Two Angels - Giovanni Santi
Many of the painting techniques in use today were developed centuries ago by the old masters of painting. Monet, DaVinci, Michelangelo, Picasso, and Van Gogh are just a few of the classic painters whose techniques we like to emulate today. Applying some of the techniques employed by these painters might be what you need to give your work a classic touch.
Flemish Technique
Oil painting was invented by the Flemish, and the Flemish technique is the oldest technique used in painting. It involves painting on a hard surface, such as hardwood, and applying a flat transparent underpainting that would allow Flemish painters to more accurately judge tones. Flemish artists typically sketched their painting first and transferred the sketch to the hard canvas. The underpainting, once dry, is followed by transparent glazing for shadows and opaque or transparent glazes for middle tones. Soft-hair brushes were most often employed, and this method took several applications to work up. Underpainting was, and remains, one of the most popular painting techniques.
Glazing
Another popular technique employed by the old masters was glazing, still in use today. Glazing is the application of a transparent paint laid over dry underpainting. The underpainting is typically monochrome, but applying the glaze over color can effectively bring out various hues. Glazing was a technique used by the old masters to re-create the natural colors found in real life from a limited palette.
Broken Color
Broken color is a technique used to reflect the light in a painting and was employed by Monet and other impressionistic painters.The effect is achieved by a subtle blending and overlapping of colors. There are no hard lines in a painting that uses broken color. The technique requires broad strokes and dabbing, often over underpainting, to bring out the visual.
Scumbling
Scumbling is the application of a thin, light layer of opaque paint in a light color layered over a darker color, either by scraping or dragging. This produces a hazy overall effect often seen in the work of Renaissance painters.
