Pointillism

In this project we will look at he progression of artistic style from Neoclassicism, to Impressionism. There is a huge shift from the tight controlled work of Ingres, to the loose style of Claude Monet.

In Ingre's portrait of Madame Moitessier, we see the muted colors and realistic style that is typical of the neoclassic period. The severe and unemotional form is a reflection of ancient Greece and Rome.

Monet's Impression Sunrise shows the loose, almost abstract imagery, of the impressionist movement. They did away with the control which was the hallmark of the earlier work. Artists left their studios and painted "En Plein Air".

The Pointillist style is a combination of ideas whose roots are two completely different styles. Our paintings will be a hybrid of both Impressionist and Pointillist ideas. Here are some examples from last years classes.

General Instructions

We’ll use Q-tips as our brushes.

Our painting will be a hybrid of impressionist and pointillist brush strokes.

Horizontal strokes work well for water.

Your can change the size of a round brush stroke by using either side of the wooden Q-tips. (wood end makes small dots.)

Use cardboard pallets to mix paint.

Use paint sparingly.

We'll be using white acrilic paint, do not get it on your clothing.

Step by Step Procedure:

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1. Choose a landscape, cityscape, or a seascape.
2. Choose a good reference image. This is critical to a successful project.
3. Don’t bite off more then you can chew! Sometimes less is more!
4. Roughly sketch out your image on grey "bogus" paper. Don't put in minor detail, just the basic shapes of objects.
5. Color Key the Image – Use light tints to show where the basic colors are located.
6. Start adding darker values.
7. Add Complimentary colors to give the image “pop” (simultaneous contrast)
8. Use darker colors in the foreground to create the illusion of depth. (atmospheric perspective)
9. Continue to add detail and layers of color.

This isn’t coloring, it’s painting! By developing layers of color we create depth in the image.