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Medium: Oil Category: Floral
This demonstration is from the book, The Complete Oil Painter by Brian Gorst,
published by Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group
a division of Random House. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.
All steps included. Please respect copyright of the author and artist.
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Alla Prima
A demonstration in oil
by Kim Williams with text by Brian Gorst
Literally meaning "at the first [attempt]," alla prima is essentially a technique whereby a subject is painted in a direct manner during a single working session.
The term has also come to refer to an approach to picture making that is spontaneous, raw, and skillful...
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The materials
Most alla prima paintings tend to be, by necessity, on a small scale, and a colored ground may save much time and effort during the early stages. It can be useful to use a small range of familiar colors in order to avoid unwanted surprise combinations. As overpainting is minimal in alla prima painting, an oil-rich medium (perhaps the slow-drying poppy oil) and slow-drying pigments can extend the picture's practical workability.
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The brushes
Large bristle brushes were used in this example initially to cover the broad areas quickly. A wide variety of shapes captured the different textures of the subject. Bristles were used in the early stages, as well as synthetic nylon brushes that replicate the spring of bristles. Nylon designer brushes were used for the detail in the flowers and jar.
The palette
The number of colors used was limited for speed and fluency. The palette has a cool bias to suit the cool nature of the colors in the main subject and background.
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1 Titanium White was used for the highlights on the jar and to lift the brightness of the petals.
2 Flake White was employed in mixtures throughout the picture.
3 Naples Yellow was a warmer alternative to white in mixtures such as that used for the jar.
4 Cadmium Yellow was used as the general color of the flowers and also to make green.
5 Lemon Yellow is a cooler yellow and was used for the outer petals.
6 Cadmium Red Light gave the petals their rich inner glow.
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7 Cadmium Red was included for balance but was little used.
8 Indian Red was a useful color for neutralizing the greens of the stalks in certain places.
9 Burnt Umber was mixed to paint the table edge and to achieve darks.
10 Viridian was useful as the main color in the stalks.
11 French Ultramarine was mixed with yellows and greens, and also added to darks.
12 Cerulean Blue was the basis for the background color.
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The process
Approach an alla prima painting with concentration and confidence--as if it is the last picture you paint. A loose underdrawing in charcoal or thinned paint will promote a freer, more open painting style. In the initial stages you should be aware of the main points of focus and think about whether some aspects of the subject can be simplified or removed. Locate the darkest and lightest areas and, if you are working wet into wet, aim to move gradually toward these extremes through the course of the painting. |
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1 The composition is drawn in white chalk
over a ground colored with Raw Umber. Excess chalk is dusted off.
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2 The key color and focal areas are laid-in with the yellows and Flake White. A thinner yellow indicates the location of the stalks.
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3 After the darker tones of the stocks have been placed behind
the flowers, a generalized background color is applied
sparingly with a bristle brush.
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4 Detail and richness of color have been added to the inner areas of the petals using quite thick paint.
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5 The painted flowerheads are selectively tonked to reduce the paint thickness. This allows any overpainting and blending to be achieved more efficiently.
TONKING
Named after the English painter Henry Tonks, this method is similar to placing blotting paper over wet ink. Simply put a sheet of newspaper or other thin paper over all or part of a wet oil painting, hold it firmly in place and rub gently. The areas of thicker paint mass will transfer onto the paper, thus reducing the thickness of the wet paint layer.
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6 The darker toned shelf surface is painted to enable
the artist to judge the overall composition and value range better.
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7 More detail is placed around and behind the flowerheads, using darker tones. The green stalks are painted through the glass, the color is carefully chosen to emulate a submerged object. |
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8 The highights on the vase are indicated in Titanium White. The translucent lights on the vase, which denote the border of the object, are also put in.
9 Further detail is added
to the flower petals, paying particular
attention to those in the central area of focus.
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10 [Left] At this stage, in keeping with the spirit of the alla prima process, the artist lowers the level of the table. This involves removing the brown paint with a rag, lowering the background color, and altering the perspective of the vase base. The flower stems are substantiated in the vase with wet-into-wet applications of dark green.
11 [Above] Using the synthetic designer brush, the details of the flowers are carefully picked out. Painting such details during an alla prima painting may require the support of a mahl stick.
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12 The glass highlights are painted in again, using a designer brush loaded with Titanium White.
13/Finish With a few alterations to the long leaves
(which previously exited the top and sides of the picture),
this simple painting has been completed in about four
hours. It can serve as a finishehd work or as a preliminary
study for a more sustained and detailed composition.
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ALLA PRIMA: A DEMONSTRATION iN OIL by Kim Williams
This demonstration is from Brian Gorst's book, The Complete Oil Painter: the essential reference source for beginning to professional artists.
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Artwork Copyright 2012 by Kim Williams - All Rights Reserved; Text Copyright 2011 by Brian Gorst - All Rights Reserved.
PLEASE RESPECT ALL COPYRIGHTS
Brian Gorst's book, The Complete Oil Painter is published by Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group a division of Random House. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.
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