What is Impressionism?
Author: Dana McGorlick-Appelman Date Posted:20 January 2021
Developed in France in the nineteenth century by artists such as Claude Monet, impressionism is a painting style that is based on ‘en plein air’ painting or painting outdoors, to capture fleeting moments of contemporary life and the dynamic and illuminating effects of sunlight outside, rather than studio-based subjects. The impressionists rejected the style of realism and historical painting that was popular at the time, turning instead to subjects such as landscapes and mundane scenes to portray them with vivid colours and in gestural forms.
Impressionism is characterised by rapid brushwork and thick, expressive impasto strokes to symbolise moments in time, generating a sense of atmosphere or “impressions” that absorb the viewer in the work.
The first group exhibition of the Parisian impressionists was held in 1874, and featured works by Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Monet and Auguste Renoir. The movement was a critical turning point in the art community, developing a fresh visual language and signalling a significant shift from realism. It initially met with both disdain and admiration, and soon spread internationally.
Impressionism has since gone on to become one of the most popular movements in art history. Using impasto or thick, rich coloured paint and a palette knife, the impressionists were able to add texture, movement and dimension to their work. Impressionism was also notably the catalyst and inspiration for many more Art Movements including Fauvism, Cubism and Symbolism.
Want to create your own impressionist style artwork? Here’s what you’ll need:
Mont Marte Acrylic Medium - Impasto 500ml
Mont Marte Impasto is a clear drying medium used to create texture and retain brush strokes. Impasto can be mixed with acrylics directly and will not change the effect of the final colour. Because Impasto is a water-based medium it cannot be mixed with oils, but it can be painted over with oils once left to dry. It adds an expressive quality to artworks and has the ability to bring the painting into the third dimension, and is easily cleaned up with water.
Atelier 250ml - Impasto Heavy Gel (Satin)
Atelier Impasto Heavy Gel medium is an ultra-thick painting medium that when mixed with paint, creates a dense consistency ideal for the impasto technique.
This medium dries with a low-sheen satin finish to match the surface quality of dried paint so when used in conjunction with other mediums or paint in a piece, the surface lustre remains uniform. This medium mixes seamlessly with paint and remains mobile and easy to move and manipulate.
Winsor & Newton 60ml - Liquin Impasto Oil Medium
This Winsor & Newton Liquin Impasto Oil Medium is a semi-gloss medium which thickens slowly and extends paint retaining brush stroke and texture without visible levelling. When mixed with Winsor & Newton Artisan Oil Colours it speeds drying time significantly for touch-dry work in rapid time. This medium helps create the texture of Impasto without building too much dimension.
Atelier 250ml - Impasto Heavy Gel (Gloss)
A thick, fast-drying water-based acrylic gel. This is designed to exaggerate structure and sharpen textural edges of the paint. Simply mix with paint, overpaint once dry or apply on top of a paint layer for a transparent textural effect.
Art Spectrum Kaolin is a china clay used for preparing grounds (gesso) and as extenders for gesso and paint. It is also often added to oil paint to achieve an impasto quality, so you can create thick layers giving your work an almost three-dimensional effect. Take Vincent Van Gogh's very famous 'Starry Night' for example.
Mont Marte Studio Series - Palette Knife Set 5pce (Stainless Steel)
This Stainless-Steel Palette knife set by Mont Marte is an essential studio accessory for create dimension and texture. Featuring 5 great sized and shaped steel palette knives allowing you the flexibility to mix paint on various scales and apply paint with the knives to achieve different textures and results.
Mont Marte Professional Series Oil Paint
Mont Marte 100ml Oil Paints are available in a beautiful range of colours. They feature high-quality lightfast pigments and a smooth buttery consistency. Oil paint has a much slower drying time than acrylics allowing the artist to manipulate the paint over several painting sessions and also allows subtle colour blending. Oil Paint dries to a consistent colour whereas acrylics may darken slightly upon drying. Oil paint offers long term durability, resistance to the elements and has been regarded as a fine art medium for hundreds of years. Clean up with Turpentine.
Winsor & Newton Oil Colour Paint
A reasonably priced oil paint at a high quality. Each tube of Oil Paint has a high level of pigmentation to provide solid coverage and mixability. These Oil colours can be effectively mixed to create a wide spectrum of colour options.
Art Spectrum are Australia's most respected oil paints because they conform to the classic tradition. All colours are triple-milled to ensure that every pigment particle is completely coated with the vehicle, and evenly dispersed. This results in a stable paint film which has even surface tensions. All the beautiful and unique oil colours are permanent with superior pigment.
Art Prism 40ml Oil Paints (often referred to as AP paints) are developed and manufactured by Art Spectrum, and are regarded as one of the best quality student oil paints available. They feature a smooth consistency and mixability. This range of oils is a perfect level to start at for a beginner or student painter made with quality and price in mind. The 26-colour range offers all the hues and colours one needs to get started with oil painting.
Mont Marte Dimension acrylic is a high viscosity fine art paint that offers artists a new dimension in painting. Dimension paints feature high viscosity, strong colour intensity, excellent lightfastness and premium quality pigment. This acrylic’s ultra-thick consistency can be applied with brush, palette knife or shaper to create especially exaggerated texture effects. Dimension Paints dry hard and hold shape while still maintaining flexibility and smooth flowability. Available in a range of vivid colours which dry to a radiant gloss finish.
Matisse Structure Acrylic Paint is a high-quality Artists' Acrylic loved by Artists' in Australia and Globally. Structure's formula makes it a rich buttery impasto acrylic paint and it is the ideal choice of paint when thick gestural application is desired. Structure can be used straight from the tube and applied thickly with a brush or palette knife. The Matisse range is developed and produced in Australia using the finest quality pigments and ingredients, all of which have lightfastness ratings of ASTM I or II, they are in turn archival in quality allowing artists to paint with confidence.
Liquitex Heavy Body Artist Acrylic Paint, has a thick consistency for traditional art techniques using brushes or knives, as well as for experimental, mixed media, collage and printmaking applications. The exceptionally smooth, thick buttery consistency retains brush strokes and palette knife marks, making it great for thick/impasto applications and painting techniques. It’s also flexible when dry; thick films remain free of cracks and chips. The high pigment load produces rich, brilliant, permanent colour.
Mont Marte Professional Series Canvas
Mont Marte Professional stretched canvases are popularly used by Artists of different levels, from Professional exhibiting Artists to students and beginners - these superior quality canvases provide a sturdy support for various media applications. Commonly used for Oil Paintings and Acrylic Paintings they can also be used for moderate to thick impasto application and collage techniques.
Each of these Double Thick stretched canvases are Triple coated with universal primer and ready to be positioned on your easel and painted on with no need for surface preparation. Corners are neatly folded to gallery standards and corners of the stretcher frame are mitred with finger joins allowing for superior strength.
Features:
Acid-Free 380gsm Canvas
Unbleached cotton duck comprised of a high-density weave
Triple Primed
Mitred corners
Double rows of staples
Sizes larger than 60cm include cross bracing
Kiln-dried stretcher bars to combat bowing and warping
Shrink-wrapped and corner protectors
Available in a variety of sizes in both single and double thick
A transportable easel for painting en plein air
Mont Marte Tripod Easel - Portable Aluminium Field Easel Telescopic Legs w/Carry Bag Black
Mont Marte Field Easel is a lightweight easel made with sturdy black-coated aluminium. It is perfect as a lightweight easel to take away with you or out into the field to paint. This great easel comes in a polyester carry bag with adjustable strap. It features adjustable telescopic tripod legs, and is collapsible for easy storage. It can hold a canvas up to 90cm high
Mont Marte Signature Tripod Easel - in Metallic Purple or Metallic Blue
These Mont Marte Signature Tripod Easels are perfect as a lightweight easel to take away with you or out into the field to paint. It is made from Anodised Aluminium, and hold canvases up to 72cm high. They can be folded for easy storage and transportation and can be even used as a table-top easel with the adjustable telescopic tripod legs. Available in a funky metallic purple or metallic blue.
Mont Marte Storage - Premium Art Satchel Carry Case
It's easy to get your artworks and creative supplies from A to B with the Mont Marte Premium Art Satchel. It’s perfect for transporting canvases, sketching pads, paints, pencils and other art supplies, and is made from a soft and durable 300 denier Oxford fabric. It features a magnetic press-stud closure, zippered main compartment with padding, front zippered pocket, lining in the main compartment and front pocket, adjustable shoulder strap and 2 adjustable carry loops.
Got questions? Send us an email at customerservice@artshedonline.com.au and our friendly team of artists will do their best to support you!
Show us your impressionist style artwork by tagging us on Instagram @artshedonline
Happy creating!