Impressionism | Impressionist Color and Style | Oil Painting Aesthetics

Impressionism is an art movement that emerged in France in the 1860s, emphasizing the capture of momentary effects of light and color changes, typically created outdoors to represent scenes under natural light.

Impressionist painters opposed the then-dominant classical academicism. They believed that all colors are produced by light and advocated for painting outdoors, under the sun, based on visual observation and immediate sensation, to depict the subtle changes in color of objects under light. Impressionist painters, in their treatment of shadows, abandoned the traditional use of black in favor of brighter colors like blue and purple.

Impressionism can be said to be a liberation of painting. The main characteristics of the impressionistic style include short, broken brushstrokes, bright and unmixed colors, and an emphasis on light and its changing effects. The core of this movement is to abandon traditional artistic methods and embrace a more spontaneous and naturalistic style.

Impressionism is not only reflected in the field of painting but also quickly expanded to other artistic fields such as music and literature.
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Auxiliary reference prompts

Impressionistic style, Loose Brushwork, Impasto, Capturing Light and Atmosphere, Optical Mixing, impressionistic painting, Oil Painting, The brushstrokes are bold and textured, creating a dynamic lively scene, by Claude Monet, by Renoir, by Edgar Degas, by Camille Pissarro,
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Advanced usage

It is recommended to use reference images and utilize ControlNet's IP-Adapter to achieve style transfer.
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Impressionism - Impressionist Techniques Vocabulary

Impressionism is an art movement that emphasizes capturing momentary effects of light and color changes, typically created outdoors to represent scenes under natural light.

Loose Brushwork

Emphasizes quick, loose brushstrokes to capture the essence of the scene, a technique that helps convey the liveliness and atmosphere of the scene.

Plein Air Painting

The technique of directly depicting the scene in front of you outdoors is crucial for Impressionist artists who aim to represent the fleeting changes in light and atmosphere.

Broken Color Technique

Placing small brushstrokes or dots of color side by side, rather than mixing them. This technique creates a sparkling effect, adding vitality to the painting.

Impasto

A technique of applying thick layers of paint to create texture. This adds a tactile dimension to the artwork and emphasizes the brushstrokes.

Complementary Colors

Impressionist artists often use complementary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel) to create vivid contrasts and enhance the brightness of the painting.

Capturing Light and Atmosphere

A signature feature of Impressionism is the depiction of light and its effects on landscapes and objects. Understanding how to represent different lighting conditions is crucial.

Limited Palette

Using a limited palette helps maintain harmony and balance in the painting, making it easier to capture the essence of the scene without being overwhelmed by too many color choices.

Layering and Glazing

Layering involves applying multiple layers of paint to build depth and complexity, while glazing involves applying thin, transparent layers of paint over dry layers to alter color and light effects.

Optical Mixing

A technique used by Impressionist painters where the artist places small brushstrokes of various colors side by side to create the effect of the desired color. The broken color technique relies on the visual mixing of colors, so it is best not to mix colors too much.

These techniques together form the core of Impressionist oil painting, enabling artists to capture the fleeting changes in light and color, creating vivid and dynamic works.