A ten days/ Ten weeks oil painting (Western tradition) course module for teachers and students

This 10-day course is designed for those interested in teaching and learning oil painting as an art form that evolved in the Western tradition, where the medium of oil painting was invented and developed. The course can be completed over ten weeks to enhance the quality of engagement and the course outcome. 

- Narendra Raghunath

        Introduction to Oil Painting

• Overview of Materials: Introduction to essential tools like brushes, oil paints, surfaces (canvas, wood), and solvents (turpentine, linseed oil).

• Example: A case study of Van Gogh's use of specific brushes and textured surfaces to create his iconic style can be discussed to emphasize the importance of choosing suitable materials. Van Gogh is known for his expressive use of brushstrokes and textured surfaces. He often worked directly with the canvas and thickly applied paint. His use of texture, such as in The Starry Night, reflects his distinctive style.

• Safety Guidelines: Detailed instructions on handling solvents and mediums safely, including ventilation and skin protection.

• Case Study: Discuss artist health concerns, such as Edgar Degas' use of toxic materials. Like many artists of his time, Edgar Degas used poisonous materials such as lead-based paints and turpentine. He often suffered from health issues, including eye problems, which may have been exacerbated by prolonged exposure to these materials. Modern artists take more extraordinary precautions.

• Colour Theory Basics: Study primary and secondary colours, warm vs. cool colours, and how artists use these to set mood and depth.

• Example: Picasso's Blue Period offers insight into how colour theory impacts emotional tone. Picasso’s Blue Period (1901–1904) is a well-documented example of how colour theory, in this case, a monochromatic blue palette, can affect emotional tone and narrative. The cold tones reflect his work's sombre themes of poverty and despair during this time.

• Practical Exercise: Mix primary colours (red, blue, yellow) to create a full palette, and apply these in a basic still-life painting.

• Case Study: Explore Cezanne's still-life compositions and his groundbreaking use of colour and form. Cézanne is famous for his revolutionary approach to still life, where he broke traditional rules of perspective, often using colour and form to create a sense of space and depth. His work was foundational to later modernist movements like Cubism.

• Homework: Practice mixing colours and creating a colour wheel, using classic examples like Johannes Itten's colour wheel for reference.

        Mastering Brushstrokes and Texture

• Introduction to Brush Types: Explore different brushes (flat, filbert, round) and their roles in oil painting.

• Example: John Singer Sargent's use of varied brushstrokes to create fluidity in portraiture can serve as a model. John Singer Sargent is renowned for his fluid brushstrokes, especially in portraiture. His quick, decisive strokes give his paintings a sense of immediacy and life, often blending realism with impressionistic technique.

• Practising Basic Strokes: Try hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling to build depth.
• Exercise: Create a textured study mimicking the work of Rembrandt, famous for his impasto techniques. Rembrandt often used thick applications of paint, impasto, to give texture and create dramatic lighting effects, as seen in works like The Jewish Bride. This helped him achieve depth in his portraits and biblical scenes.

• Exploring Texture: Learn to use impasto and glazing to add tactile interest to paintings.

• Case Study: Van Gogh's "Starry Night" demonstrates heavy impasto to bring texture and movement. In The Starry Night, Van Gogh’s use of impasto and bold, swirling brushstrokes is one of the most famous examples of textured painting. The thick application of paint contributes to the dynamic movement in the work.

• Practical Exercise: Create texture with palette knives and thick brushes to paint a landscape.

• Example: Discuss the Impressionists' innovative brushwork in capturing light and texture in nature. Impressionist painters, including Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, were known for their innovative brushwork, which often involved quick, short strokes to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere.

• Homework: Create a texture study, experimenting with various brush techniques inspired by modern abstract painters like Jackson Pollock.

        Understanding Value and Composition

• Value Fundamentals: Study how light and dark values create depth and form in a composition.

• Example: Leonardo da Vinci's "sfumato" technique, as seen in the "Mona Lisa," is a great case study on using value to create soft, realistic shading. Leonardo da Vinci pioneered the sfumato technique, blending light and dark values to create smooth transitions, as seen in Mona Lisa. This technique is often referenced in discussions about creating realistic shading and depth.

• Basic Composition Rules: Learn about balance and focus through composition strategies like the rule of thirds and symmetry.

• Case Study: Examine the compositional brilliance in Caravaggio's paintings, where light and form guide the viewer's attention. Caravaggio’s use of chiaroscuro (strong contrasts of light and dark) and dramatic compositions, as seen in works like The Calling of Saint Matthew, are classic examples of guiding viewer focus and creating intense drama.

• Monochromatic Value Study: Paint using only one colour to focus on light and shadow.

• Exercise: Create a value scale like in chiaroscuro techniques seen in works by Rembrandt. Rembrandt’s use of chiaroscuro in works such as The Night Watch exemplifies mastery in manipulating light and shadow to create mood and depth.

• Homework: Create a compositional sketch inspired by classical still-life arrangements used by artists like Giorgio Morandi.

        Advanced Color Mixing and Harmony

• Colour Mixing Techniques: Learn to create tints, shades, and tones, expanding on basic colour theory.

• Case Study: Explore Monet's ability to mix subtle hues in his "Water Lilies" series, creating natural depth and vibrancy. Monet’s Water Lilies series showcases his ability to blend subtle hues and capture the transient effects of light and atmosphere, making it an essential study in colour harmony and impressionist techniques.

• Understanding Color Harmony: Study how analogous, complementary, and triadic colour schemes can enhance a painting's impact.

• Example: Delve into the harmony in Henri Matisse's vibrant colour choices in his Fauvist works. Henri Matisse’s Fauvist period is known for lively, non-naturalistic colour schemes. His use of complementary and analogous colour schemes in works like The Joy of Life showcases his mastery of colour harmony.

• Practical Exercise: Mix flesh tones for portraiture, a challenging but essential skill.

• Case Study: Look at how Lucian Freud mastered flesh tones, creating realistic yet expressive portraits. Lucian Freud is renowned for capturing the complexity of flesh tones, using layers of subtle colour variations to create realistic, almost hyper-realistic portraits, particularly in works like Benefits Supervisor Sleeping.

• Homework: Continue practising flesh tone mixing, building a colour harmony study based on classic portrait techniques from Renaissance painters like Titian.

         Painting from Life

• Still-life Setup: Learn how to arrange objects, choose the best lighting, and create a compelling still-life scene.

• Example: Review Dutch Golden Age still-lifes, especially the detailed works of Jan Davidsz de Heem, to see how light plays on objects. Dutch Golden Age painter Jan Davidsz de Heem is famous for his intricate and detailed still-lifes, emphasising light, texture, and realism. His works often serve as prime examples of how light interacts with various surfaces.

• Observational Painting: Practice capturing proportions and lighting from real-life subjects.

• Case Study: Look at how Cézanne's observational still-lifes broke traditional rules to develop a new perspective on art. Paul Cézanne’s still-lifes, such as The Basket of Apples, challenge traditional perspectives and emphasize geometric forms, laying the groundwork for future artistic developments like Cubism.

• Practical Exercise: Paint a simple still-life focusing on light, shadow, and composition.

• Example: Analyze the balance in Giorgio Morandi's still-lifes to see how simplicity and observation lead to timeless compositions. Examine the careful arrangement of objects in Giorgio Morandi's still-life compositions and observe how his use of simplicity and keen powers of observation resulted in creating compositions that stand the test of time.

• Homework: Continue practising painting from life by observing how natural light interacts with objects at different times of the day.

        Landscape Painting

• Introduction to Landscape: Learn to paint natural scenes, focusing on critical elements like skies, trees, and water.

• Case Study: Study J.M.W. Turner's landscape approach, especially his innovative use of light and atmospheric effects. Turner was a master of capturing light and atmosphere in his landscapes, particularly with his creative use of colour and abstraction to convey mood, as seen in Rain, Steam and Speed.

• Atmospheric Perspective: Understand how to create depth by muting colours in the background to mimic distance.

• Exercise: Recreate elements of atmospheric perspective seen in Caspar David Friedrich's expansive landscapes. Friedrich’s vast landscapes, such as Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, are textbook examples of atmospheric perspective, where objects in the distance are muted and less detailed to create depth.

• Practical Exercise: Paint a simple landscape with layers to capture depth and light.

• Example: Look at how Constable's English landscapes use layering to create a sense of air and space. John Constable’s English landscapes, such as The Hay Wain, use layering techniques to build texture and convey a sense of depth.

• Homework: Observe and practice painting natural settings in your environment, applying atmospheric perspective techniques.

        Portrait Painting

• Introduction to Portraiture: Learn how to approach human faces, focusing on proportions and expressions.

• Example: Review Holbein's detailed portraits to understand proportion and character. Hans Holbein is known for his thorough and precise portraits of figures like The Ambassadors, where he masterfully captures character and likeness.

• Facial Proportions: Master the layout of facial features using grids and guidelines.

• Case Study: Examine how contemporary artists like Kehinde Wiley adapt traditional portraiture techniques for modern expressions. Contemporary portrait artist Kehinde Wiley combines traditional techniques with modern subject matter, using Old Master compositions to create striking, modern portraits, as seen in his presidential portrait of Barack Obama. 

• Practical Exercise: Paint a simple portrait, focusing on the placement of features and likenesses.

• Example: Discuss how the psychology of a subject is captured in works by Diego Velázquez.Velázquez’s portraits, particularly Las Meninas, capture not just likeness but also the psychology and presence of his subjects, a defining trait of his work.

• Homework: Practice drawing and painting facial proportions from photographs or live models.

      

        Advanced Techniques

• Layering and Glazing: Learn how to build layers of transparent colour to create depth and richness.

• Case Study: Study Jan van Eyck's glazing techniques in works like the "Arnolfini Portrait."Jan van Eyck used glazing techniques, particularly in works like The Arnolfini Portrait, to create depth and luminous colour through layers of transparent oil paint. 

• Texture and Detail: Focus on creating intricate textures and details in your paintings, using techniques like dry brushing.

• Example: Analyze the intricate textures in William-Adolphe Bouguereau's highly detailed paintings. William-Adolphe Bouguereau is renowned for his highly detailed and smooth textures, particularly in depicting skin and fabric, as seen in works like The Birth of Venus.

• Individual Critique: Review each student's progress, offering personalized feedback and identifying areas for improvement.

        Developing Personal Style

• Self-Expression: Explore personal themes, experimenting with abstraction, realism, or expressionism.

• Example: Discuss how artists like Jackson Pollock and Georgia O'Keeffe developed distinctive personal styles through experimentation. Jackson Pollock’s abstract expressionism and Georgia O’Keeffe’s iconic florals exemplify how experimentation led to the development of unique artistic voices.

• Experimentation: Encourage students to avoid traditional techniques and find their unique voice.

• Case Study: Examine how Picasso evolved from realism to Cubism through experimentation. Picasso’s evolution from realism to Cubism, particularly in works like Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, showcases the power of experimentation in shaping an artist’s style.

        Final Project

• Culminating Project: Create a final painting incorporating all techniques learned, whether a still-life, portrait, or landscape.

• Example: Reflect on how contemporary artists such as Jenny Saville or Gerhard Richter use classical techniques in modern ways. Jenny Saville and Gerhard Richter combine classical techniques with modern subject matter, using their skills in traditional painting to create highly contemporary works that push boundaries.

• Presentation and Critique: Present the final project to the class for a critique, receiving constructive feedback.

• Case Study: Discuss the importance of feedback in the careers of famous artists like Jackson Pollock, whose work evolved with critique. Jackson Pollock’s development was significantly influenced by critique, particularly from figures like Clement Greenberg, who helped shape the reception of abstract expressionism.

• Reflection and Next Steps: Reflect on personal growth and set goals for further artistic development.