Michelangelo painted the glorious Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. It took four years to be complete, and of those four years, in 1509, the beautiful ‘Delphic Sibyl’ was painted using the ‘al fresco’ technique along with the other Prophets and Sibyls of the ceiling.
Silverpoint was a unique technique used as early as the 12th century for writing and markings, it became immensely popular from the 14th to the 16th century, for the creation of art. It was favoured among old masters of the Renaissance period, before the incorporation of graphite. Silverpoint is only one of the metals used falling under the larger category of metal-point, where gold, platinum, lead, copper, and iron were also used. Silver was the most used metal and why the technique ‘metal-point’ became more known as silverpoint.
Painting with egg yolk and milk is already weird enough, then what about painting with people’s flesh?
“Let there be light’, a phrase that Rembrandt Van Rijn allowed to become the motif of his work throughout his entire career. Solidified in history as the most important figure in the history of Dutch art.
The following article will be a part analysis and part appreciation post, we’ll be observing his techniques at creating such complex works. as he is one of my favourite artists and every piece he created has a thousand lessons hidden in their strokes and etches. If you have any agreements or disagreements, please write them in the comment section as I’d love to hear what you think.
Western art was developed differently compared to the art in China. In China, calligraphy and painting were evolved together, therefore combining their painting, graphic arts, literature, and poetry in a way that did not happen in Europe. There are a few things to note on how they differ.
There is a short story called The flower sermon about one of the last lessons the Buddha gave to his followers in which he was to talk about the law, or the essence of life, and he did it by taking a flower on his hand and just holding it while looking the persons around him in silence. Buddha handed the lotus to Mahakasyapa and began to speak. “What can be said I have said to you,” smiled the Buddha, “and what cannot be said, I have given to Mahakasyapa.”
Mahakasyapa became Buddha’s successor from that day forward.
I found The flower sermon while looking for some historical background on the art of sumi-e, a particular style of painting originated in China by the 7th century and spread to Japan in the 13th century by Zen Buddhist monks. Just as in the sermon, this painting style has a deep, quiet, almost solemn approach to the act of understanding and portraying the world…
Leonardo Da Vinci is easily one of the greatest artists of all time, giving us works such as the Mona Lisa, Salvator Mundi, and the Last Supper along with surprising and delighting us all for 100s of years, and while Leonardo’s paintings are certainly his claim to fame, Da Vinci also has a series of notebooks and manuscripts that give us unprecedented insight into both his knowledge, and his process in painting and drawing, his notebooks are also filled with mathematical and scientific knowledge, but we’re going to take a look at the artistic side of his notebooks, in which there is so very much we can learn.
In 1500, Louis XII of France commissioned Leonardo Da Vinci to paint what, today is known as, Salvator Mundi, or ‘Savior of the World’. However, the painting has been through a long journey to reach its present state, a painting worth 450 million dollars, and will in the future reside at Abu Dhabi Louvre. The painting portrays Jesus holding an orb in his left hand and giving a Benediction with his right hand, both are painted with stunning detail, we also see these luscious curly locks of his hair leading to his face, which gazes at the viewer in a solemn yet mysterious gaze. Jesus is also portrayed as wearing a stunningly detailed gown with wonderful drapery.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is in most regards considered to be one of the greatest visual artists in history, as well as being one of the greatest Dutch painters of all time. His dozens of paintings and drawings were intimately beautiful, and awe inspiring. He was also a very dynamic artist, with him painting and drawing all sorts of things from portraits to historical scenes, Rembrandt practically went into dozens of themes. But his prolific and well-known artworks, are the many self-portraits he did over the many years he was alive, and they give us an incredible insight into Rembrandt that we rarely have with any other artist that was born at that time.
I recently wrote an article about how taking photographs, along with travel, helped me with building a visual library. I feel it was a great way to learn composition and learn what makes a photo unique and interesting, by trail and error, without the time and effort it takes to do the same with a drawing and/or painting.
