The number of styles and trends is huge, if not endless. Styles in art do not have clear boundaries, they smoothly pass one into another and are in continuous development, mixing and opposition. Within the framework of one historical artistic style, a new one is always born, and that, in turn, passes into the next. Many styles coexist at the same time and therefore there are no “pure styles” at all.
Abstractionism (from Latin abstractio - removal, distraction) - an artistic direction in art that has abandoned the image of forms close to reality.
avant-garde, avant-garde (from French avant-garde - advanced detachment) - the general name of artistic trends in the art of the 20th century, which are characterized by the search for new forms and means of artistic display, underestimation or complete denial of traditions and absolutization of innovation.
Academicism (from French academisme) - a direction in European painting of the 16th-19th centuries. It was based on dogmatic adherence to the external forms of classical art. Followers characterized this style as a reflection on the art form of the ancient ancient world and the Renaissance. Academism replenished the traditions of ancient art, in which the image of nature was idealized, while compensating for the norm of beauty. Annibale, Agostino and Lodovico Carracci wrote in this style.
Actionism (from the English action art - the art of action) - happening, performance, event, process art, demonstration art and a number of other forms that arose in the avant-garde art of the 1960s. In accordance with the ideology of actionism, the artist must organize events and processes. Actionism seeks to blur the line between art and reality.
Empire (from the French empire - empire) - a style in architecture and decorative art that arose in France at the beginning of the 19th century, during the First Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte. Empire - the final development of classicism. For the embodiment of majesty, sophistication, luxury, power and military strength, the Empire is characterized by an appeal to ancient art: ancient Egyptian decorative forms (war trophies, winged sphinxes ...), Etruscan vases, Pompeian paintings, Greek and Roman decor, Renaissance frescoes and ornaments. The main representative of this style was J. L. David (paintings "The Oath of the Horatii" (1784), "Brutus" (1789))
underground (from the English underground - underground, dungeon) - a number of artistic trends in contemporary art that oppose mass culture, the mainstream. The underground rejects and violates the political, moral and ethical orientations and types of behavior accepted in society, introducing antisocial behavior into everyday life. In the Soviet period, due to the severity of the regime, almost any unofficial, i.e. not recognized by the authorities, art turned out to be underground.
Art Nouveau (from French art nouveau, literally - new art) - the name of the Art Nouveau style common in many countries (Belgium, France, England, USA, etc.). The most famous artist of this direction of painting: Alphonse Mucha.
Art Deco (from French art deco, abbreviated from decoratif) - a trend in art in the middle of the 20th century, which marked the synthesis of avant-garde and neoclassicism, replaced constructivism. Distinctive features of this direction: fatigue, geometric lines, luxury, chic, expensive materials (ivory, crocodile skin). The most famous artist of this trend is Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).
Baroque (from Italian barocco - strange, bizarre or from port. perola barroca - an irregularly shaped pearl, there are other assumptions about the origin of this word) - an artistic style in the art of the late Renaissance. Distinctive features of this style: exaggeration of size, broken lines, an abundance of decorative details, heaviness and colossality.
Revival, or Renaissance (from French renaissance, Italian rinascimento) is an era in the history of European culture that replaced the culture of the Middle Ages and preceded the culture of modern times. Approximate chronological framework of the era - XIV-XVI centuries. A distinctive feature of the Renaissance is the secular nature of culture and its anthropocentrism (that is, interest, first of all, in a person and his activities). There is an interest in ancient culture, there is, as it were, its “revival” - and this is how the term appeared. Drawing pictures of traditional religious themes, the artists began to use new artistic techniques: building a three-dimensional composition, using a landscape in the background, which allowed them to make the images more realistic and lively. This sharply distinguished their work from the previous iconographic tradition, replete with conventions in the image. The most famous artists of this period: Sandro Botticelli (1447-1515), Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Raphael Santi (1483-1520), Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), Titian (1477-1576), Antonio Correggio (1489 -1534), Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516), Albrecht Durer (1471-1528).
Woodland (from English - forest land) - a style in art, originating in the symbolism of rock art, myths and legends of North American Indians.
Gothic (from Italian gotico - unusual, barbaric) - a period in the development of medieval art, covering almost all areas of culture and developing in Western, Central and partly Eastern Europe from the 12th to the 15th century. Gothic completed the development of European medieval art, having arisen on the basis of the achievements of the Romanesque culture, and during the Renaissance, the art of the Middle Ages was considered "barbaric". Gothic art was cult in purpose and religious in subject matter. It appealed to the highest divine powers, eternity, the Christian worldview. Gothic in its development is divided into Early Gothic, Heyday, Late Gothic.
Impressionism (from French impression - impression) is a trend in European painting that originated in France in the middle of the 19th century, the main purpose of which was to convey fleeting, changeable impressions.
Kitsch, kitsch (from German kitsch - bad taste) is a term denoting one of the most odious phenomena of mass culture, a synonym for pseudo-art, in which the main attention is paid to the extravagance of appearance, the loudness of its elements. In fact, kitsch is a kind of postmodernism. Kitsch is mass art for the elite. A work belonging to kitsch must be made at a high artistic level, it must have a fascinating plot, but this is not a real work of art in a high sense, but a skillful fake for it. There may be deep psychological conflicts in kitsch, but there are no genuine artistic discoveries and revelations.
Classicism (from Latin classicus - exemplary) is an artistic style in art, the basis of which was the appeal, as an ideal aesthetic standard, to the images and forms of ancient art and the Renaissance, requiring strict adherence to a number of rules and canons.
Cosmism (from the Greek kosmos - organized world, kosma - decoration) is an artistic and philosophical worldview, which is based on knowledge of the Cosmos and the idea of a person as a citizen of the World, as well as a microcosm similar to the Macrocosm. Cosmism is associated with astronomical knowledge about the universe.
Cubism (from French cube - cube) is a modernist trend in art, depicting objects of reality decomposed into simple geometric shapes.
Lettrism (from the English letter - letter, message) is a direction in modernism based on the use of images similar to a font, unreadable text, as well as compositions based on letters and text.
Metarealism, metaphysical realism (from the Greek. meta - between and healis - material, real) is a direction in art, the main idea of which is to express the superconsciousness, the superphysical nature of things.
Minimalism (derived from the English minimal art - minimal art) is an artistic movement that comes from the minimal transformation of the materials used in the creative process, simplicity and uniformity of forms, monochrome, creative self-restraint of the artist. Minimalism is characterized by the rejection of subjectivity, representation, illusionism. Rejecting classical techniques and traditional art materials, minimalists use industrial and natural materials of simple geometric shapes and neutral colors (black, gray), small volumes, use serial, conveyor methods of industrial production.
Modern (derived from the French moderne - the latest, modern) is an artistic style in art, in which the features of the art of different epochs are rethought and stylized with the help of artistic techniques based on the principles of asymmetry, ornamentation and detail.
Neoplasticism is one of the earliest varieties of abstract art. Created by 1917 by the Dutch painter P. Mondrian and other artists who were part of the "Style" association. Neoplasticism is characterized, according to its creators, by the desire for "universal harmony", expressed in strictly balanced combinations of large rectangular figures, clearly separated by perpendicular black lines and painted in local colors of the main spectrum (with the addition of white and gray tones).
Primitivism, naive art, naive - a style of painting in which the picture is deliberately simplified, its forms are made primitive, like folk art, the work of a child or a primitive person.
Op art (from the English optical art - optical art) is a neo-avant-garde trend in the visual arts, in which the effects of spatial movement, merging and "floating" of forms are achieved by introducing sharp color and tonal contrasts, rhythmic repetitions, crossing spiral and lattice configurations, wriggling lines.
Orientalism (from Latin oriens - east) - a direction in European art that uses the themes, symbols and motifs of the East and Indochina
Orphism (from French orphisme, from Orp?ee - Orpheus) - a direction in French painting of the 1910s. The name was given in 1912 by the French poet Apollinaire to painting artist Robert Delaunay. Orphism is associated with cubism, futurism and expressionism. The main features of this style of painting are aestheticism, plasticity, rhythm, elegance of silhouettes and lines.
Masters of Orphism: Robert Delaunay, Sonia Turk-Delaunay, Frantisek Kupka, Francis Picabia, Vladimir Baranov-Rossine, Fernand Léger, Morgan Russell.
pop art
Postmodernism (from French postmodernisme - after modernism) is a new artistic style that differs from modernism in its return to the beauty of secondary reality, narrative, appeal to the plot, melody, and harmony of secondary forms. Postmodernism is characterized by the unification within the framework of one work of styles, figurative motifs and artistic techniques borrowed from different eras, regions and subcultures.
Realism (from lat. gealis - material, real) is a trend in art characterized by the depiction of social, psychological and other phenomena that is as close to reality as possible.
Rococo (derived from the French rococo, rocaille) is a style in art and architecture that originated in France in the early 18th century. He was distinguished by grace, lightness, intimate-flirtatious character. Having replaced the ponderous baroque, rococo was both the logical result of its development and its artistic antipode. With the Baroque style, Rococo is united by the desire for completeness of forms, but if Baroque gravitates towards monumental solemnity, then Rococo prefers elegance and lightness.
Symbolism (from French symbolisme - a sign, an identifying sign) is an artistic direction in art, based on the embodiment of the main ideas of the work through the many-valued and many-sided associative aesthetics of symbols.
Socialist realism, socialist realism is an artistic trend in art, which is an aesthetic expression of a socialist conscious concept of the world and man, due to the era of socialist society.
Hyperrealism, superrealism, photorealism (from the English hyperrealism - over realism) is a direction in art based on an accurate photographic reproduction of reality.
Surrealism (from French surrealisme - over + realism) is one of the directions of modernism, the main idea of which is to express the subconscious (to combine dream and reality).
Transavant-garde (from Latin trans - through, through and French avantgarde - avant-garde) is one of the modern trends of postmodernism that arose as a reaction to conceptualism and pop art. Transavant-garde covers the mixing and transformation of styles born in the avant-garde, such as cubism, fauvism, futurism, expressionism, etc.
Expressionism (derived from the French expression - expressiveness) is a modernist trend in art that considers the image of the outside world only as a means for expressing the subjective states of the author.
Styles of painting - the topic is very extensive, one might say eternal. People often use terms that they do not quite understand correctly, because of this there is confusion and confusion. That is why, I want to briefly and clearly tell everything I know about the trends in painting. In order not to turn the article into a dull history lesson, I will briefly talk about the most popular and relevant areas today. Styles of painting with illustrations - a convenient and quick way to get acquainted with the most important trends in the visual arts.
Gothic
"Altar of the Merode family". Robert Campin. 1430s.
Gothic- this is a trend in art that has covered all the countries of Western and Central Europe. Then the Gothic was in everything - in sculpture, painting, stained glass, etc. it was used wherever possible, there was a "cultural boom". Such popularity is due to the last step in the evolution of medieval art. The center and main figure in the Gothic style was architecture - high arches, colored stained-glass windows, many details. The Romanesque era could not withstand such an onslaught and remained on the sidelines of history.
Years: 1150 - 1450.
Bartolo di Fredi, Giotto, Jan Polak, Jan van Eyck.
Renaissance (Renaissance)
"Penitent Mary Magdalene". Titian. 1560s.
Renaissance arose on the basis of the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the cultural turmoil that occurred on this occasion in Europe. The Byzantines who were forced to flee, along with cultural ties, brought works of art and libraries to the lands of Europe. Thus, a kind of revival of ancient views took place, but in a modern way. Over the years, many points have been revised and questioned. In general, secular humanism and ideas of prosperity reigned.
Years: 1400 - 1600.
Hieronymus Bosch, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian.
Baroque
"Judith and Holofernes". Caravaggio. 1599.
Baroque- European cultural heritage comes from Italy. It characterizes ironic vicious beauty, unnatural elitism and pretentiousness. The characteristic features of such paintings are high contrast, the tension of the plot, the dynamics of the characters stretched to the limit. The quintessence of the Baroque is considered to be the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, it is located in Rome.
Years: 1600-1740.
Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, Jan Vermeer.
Classicism
"The Mercy of Scipio Africanus". Pompeo Batoni. 1772.
Classicism played a huge role in art, as a fundamental trend in painting of the 18th century. From the name itself, everything becomes clear (Latin classicus means exemplary, exemplary).
The artists set themselves the goal of attaching the viewer to the high, and their paintings were a guiding star. High morality, restrained culture and traditional ancient values became the basis of classicism. In the era of classicism in Europe, there was a cultural growth and a reassessment of values, art reached a completely different level.
Years: 1700 - 1800.
Karl Bryullov, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Nicolas Poussin.
Realism
"Wandering Acrobats". Gustave Dore. 1874
Realism tries with the greatest certainty to convey the mood of the moment, a moment of reality on the canvas. But in turn, he is not limited by clear boundaries, the only rules are that there should not be room in the picture for things that exclude realism. In the course of experiments, at the end of the 18th century, this style was divided into naturalism and impressionism. But, realism managed to survive and it is popular even in modern painting.
Years: 1800 - 1880.
William Bouguereau, Gustave Courbet, Jean-Francois Millet.
Impressionism
"Impression. Rising Sun". Claude Monet. 1872
Impressionism originated in France, this concept was introduced by Louis Leroy. The Impressionists who worked in this style wanted to catch a second impression from every object or moment, they painted right here and now, regardless of form and meaning. The pictures showed exceptionally positive and bright moments and moments. But later, on this basis, disagreements began among the Impressionists, and over time, masters appeared who could be impressed by social problems, hunger, and disease. However, impressionism is a kind and positive style of painting that shows good and bright moments.
Years: 1860 - 1920.
Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas.
post-impressionism
"Self-Portrait in a Gray Felt Hat III". Vincent Van Gogh. 1887
post-impressionism incorporated many different styles and techniques. European masters with fresh views on painting gave rise to new trends and actively tried to move away from impressionism and realism, which were then boring.
Years: 1880 - 1920.
Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Roderick O'Conor.
Pointillism
Rio San Trovaso. Venice". Henri Edmond Cross. 1904
Pointillism(point - point) - A stylistic direction in painting, which is the same impressionism, only in a different shell. Instead of jagged strokes, dotted or rectangular shapes were used. Also, the artists refused to mix colors on the palette, instead, pure colors were superimposed on the canvas and mixed directly on the canvas itself without touching each other.
Years: 1885 - 1930.
Henri Edmond Cross, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac.
Modernism
"Butterflies near". Odilon Redon. 1910
Modernism is a common characteristic of all genres and styles in painting of the 1850s-1950s. It includes such trends in painting as Impressionism, Expressionism, Neo- and Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Abstract Art, Dadaism, Surrealism and many others. The existence of these styles marks the complete departure of the fine arts from academicism. After leaving academism, it became almost impossible to keep track of all the trends and styles that have been formed and are still being formed.
Years: 1850 - 1950.
Salvador Dali, Kazimir Malevich, Auguste Renoir and many others.
Academicism
Academicism- a direction in art that follows the rules and customs of antiquity and the Renaissance. Academism seeks to impose clear foundations and boundaries, excludes fantasy and creative flight. Instead, the emphasis is on improving the shortcomings, the "roughness" of nature - to hide or eliminate. Improving reality in the direction of beautiful perception is the essence of academicism. Plots are often taken from ancient mythology, biblical and historical motifs are also used.
Years: 1500 - today.
Karl Bryullov, William Bouguereau, Fedor Bruni.
Primitivism
"In the kitchen" Epiphanius Drovnyak. 1940~ year.
Primitivism- the deliberate simplification of the picture to such an extent that it looks like it is the work of a child. Various folk drawings and illustrations can be attributed to primitivism. Only at first glance, the pictures look simple and ridiculous. But if you look closely, you can see the correct proportions and compliance with the rules of the horizon and composition. Most of the famous masters of primitivism and naive art were big fans of the history of their people and their culture. That is why all their paintings are saturated with the color of the area in which they lived. Today, this genre has been transformed into naive art, often with an admixture of symbolism. This is due to the fact that the modern viewer is not ready to perceive primitivism in its purest form.
Years: 1900 - today.
Epiphany Drovnyak, Henri Rousseau, Niko Pirosmanishvili.
Cubism
"Seated woman in a blue dress." Pablo Picasso. 1939
Cubism is a direction of modernism, often used in relation to painting and fine arts. Masters broke their plots into geometric shapes, giving each unique element its own dense sector.
Years: 1906 - 1925.
Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Robert Delaunay.
Surrealism
"The Persistence of Memory". Salvador Dali. 1931
Surrealism - mixing dream with reality. In this style, artists released their dreams to the outside, mixing images from real life with each other, combining the incompatible. Also, personal topics of dreams were touched upon - fears, secret desires, unconscious fantasies, complexes. Everything that a person can see in his dreams. Today, surrealists copy the outer shell, using only beautiful forms, without instilling in them the meaning that was characteristic of the masters of the past.
Years: 1920 - today.
Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte.
Abstractionism
"Yellow Red Blue" Wassily Kandinsky. 1925
Abstractionism- a direction in art where there was a rejection of the image of reality and the correctness of forms. The main goal is to depict many colorful shapes that together can tell the story of the picture. The homeland of abstract art is considered to be Russia and America.
Years: 1910 - today.
Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Piet Mondrian.
Expressionism
"Scream". Edvard Munch. 1893
Expressionism sets itself one single task, to convey what the author of the picture felt at the time of its writing. Artists in this style want to express themselves and their feelings, which is why expressionism is the opposite of impressionism, in which the emphasis is on expressing a purely external shell. Expressionists are characterized by a tendency to mysticism, pessimism and despondency.
Years: 1890 - today.
Egon Schiele, Karl Eugen Kael, Jerzy Hulewicz.
Pop Art
"Green Bottles of Coca-Cola". Andy Warhole. 1962
Pop Art— Modern style in art, using the symbols of mass culture and consumer products. Modern technologies helped to manipulate and combine objects, because of this, pop art was often criticized by the guards of the old school. Over time, pop art absorbed many trends in painting.
Years: 1950 - 1980.
Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Robert Rauschenberg.
Minimalism
Gran Cairo. Frank Stella. 1962
Minimalism must minimize the author's interference with the environment. Minimalism denotes only the most important points. The origins lie in constructivism, suprematism, dadaism. It is a very controversial genre of painting, due to the overly minimalist views of some authors of this style. Today, minimalist trends in painting are transforming extremely quickly.
Years: 1960 - today.
Frank Stella, Carl Andre, Saul LeWitt.
hyperrealism
"Fruit". Jacques Boden. 2016
hyperrealism appeared in connection with the popularization of photography, it was interesting for artists to compete with photographers. Hyperrealists create an alternative reality, a realistic illusion.
Years: 1970 - today.
Gnoli, Gerhard Richter, Delkol.
That's all the directions in painting
That's all I could and wanted to say on this topic 😉 In fact, there are many more trends in painting, and they are unintentionally developed literally every day. In this article I wanted to talk about the most popular and influential. If you liked the material, share it on social networks, let's develop art together. Thank you all for your support!
Painting is perhaps the most ancient form of art. Even in the primitive era, our ancestors made images of people and animals on the walls of caves. These are the first examples of painting. Since then, this type of art has always remained a companion of human life. Examples of painting today are numerous and varied. We will try to cover this type of art as much as possible, to talk about the main genres, styles, directions and techniques in it.
painting techniques
Consider first the basic techniques of painting. One of the most common is oil. This is a technique in which oil-based paints are used. These paints are applied in strokes. With the help of them, you can create a variety of different shades, as well as convey the necessary images with maximum realism.
Tempera is another popular technique. We are talking about it when emulsion paints are used. The binder in these paints is egg or water.
Gouache- a technique widely used in graphics. Gouache paint is made on an adhesive basis. It can be used to work on cardboard, paper, bone or silk. The image is durable, and the lines are clear. Pastel- This is a drawing technique with dry pencils, while the surface must be rough. And, of course, it is worth mentioning about watercolors. This paint is usually diluted with water. A soft and thin layer of paint is obtained using this technique. Particularly popular Of course, we have listed only the main techniques that are used in painting most often. There are others.
What are the paintings usually painted on? The most popular painting on canvas. It is stretched on a frame or glued to cardboard. Note that in the past, wooden boards were used quite often. Today, not only painting on canvas is popular, but any other flat materials can be used to create an image.
Painting types
There are 2 main types of it: easel and monumental painting. The latter is related to architecture. This type includes paintings on the ceilings and walls of buildings, decorating them with images made of mosaics or other materials, stained-glass windows, and so on. Easel painting is not associated with a specific building. It can be moved from place to place. In easel painting, there are many varieties (otherwise they are called genres). Let's dwell on them in more detail.
Genres of painting
The word "genre" is French in origin. It translates as "genus", "species". That is, under the name of the genre there is a content of some kind, and, pronouncing its name, we understand what the picture is about, what we will find in it: a person, nature, an animal, objects, etc.
Portrait
The most ancient genre of painting is the portrait. This is an image of a person who looks only like himself and no one else. In other words, a portrait is an image in painting of an individual appearance, since each of us has an individual face. This genre of painting has its own varieties. A portrait can be full-length, chest-length, or only one person is painted. Note that not every image of a person is a portrait, since an artist can create, for example, "a person in general" without writing him off from anyone. However, when he depicts a specific representative of the human race, he is working on a portrait. Needless to say, there are numerous examples of painting in this genre. But the portrait below is known to almost every resident of our country. We are talking about the image of A. S. Pushkin, created in 1827 by Kiprensky.
Self-portrait can also be added to this genre. In this case, the artist depicts himself. There is a paired portrait, when in the picture there are people in a pair; and a group portrait, when a group of people is depicted. One can also note the ceremonial portrait, a variety of which is equestrian, one of the most solemn. It was very popular in the past, but such works are rare now. However, the next genre that we will talk about is relevant at any time. What is it about? This can be guessed by sorting through the genres that we have not yet named, characterizing painting. Still life is one of them. It is about him that we will now talk, continuing to consider painting.
Still life
This word also has a French origin, it means "dead nature", although the meaning would be more accurate "inanimate nature". Still life - the image of inanimate objects. They are of great variety. Note that still lifes can also depict "living nature": butterflies subsided on the petals, beautiful flowers, birds, and sometimes a person can be seen among the gifts of nature. However, it will still be a still life, since the image of the living is not the most important thing for the artist in this case.
Landscape
Landscape is another French word meaning "view of the country" in translation. It is analogous to the German concept of "landscape". Landscape is a depiction of nature in its diversity. The following varieties join this genre: the architectural landscape and the very popular seascape, which is often called the single word "marina", and the artists working in it are called marine painters. Numerous examples of painting in the seascape genre can be found in the work of I. K. Aivazovsky. One of them is "Rainbow" of 1873.
This picture is painted in oil and is difficult to perform. But it’s not difficult to create watercolor landscapes, so at school, in drawing lessons, this task was given to each of us.
Animal genre
The next genre is animalistic. Everything is simple here - this is an image of birds and animals in nature, in a natural environment.
household genre
The everyday genre is a depiction of scenes from life, everyday life, funny "incidents", home life and stories of ordinary people in an ordinary environment. And you can do without stories - just capture everyday activities and affairs. Such paintings are sometimes referred to as genre painting. As an example, consider the above work by Van Gogh (1885).
historical genre
The themes of painting are diverse, but the historical genre stands out separately. This is an image of historical heroes and events. The battle genre adjoins it, it presents episodes of war, battle.
Religious and mythological genre
In the mythological genre, paintings are written on the themes of ancient and ancient legends about gods and heroes. It should be noted that the image is of a secular nature, and in this it differs from the images of the deities represented on the icon. By the way, religious painting is not only icons. It brings together various works written on religious subjects.
Clash of genres
The richer the content of the genre, the more its "companions" appear. Genres can merge, so there is a painting that cannot be put into the framework of any of them at all. In art, there is both a general (techniques, genres, styles) and an individual (a particular work taken separately). A separate picture carries something in common. Therefore, many artists may have one genre, but the paintings painted in it are never alike. Such features have the culture of painting.
Style
Style in is an aspect of the visual perception of paintings. It can combine the work of one artist or the work of artists of a certain period, direction, school, area.
Academic painting and realism
Academic painting is a special direction, the formation of which is associated with the activities of the academies of arts in Europe. It appeared in the 16th century at the Bologna Academy, the natives of which sought to imitate the masters of the Renaissance. Since the 16th century, methods of teaching painting began to be based on strict observance of rules and norms, following formal patterns. art in Paris was considered one of the most influential in Europe. She promoted the aesthetics of classicism that dominated France in the 17th century. Parisian academy? contributing to the systematization of education, gradually turned the rules of the classical direction into a dogma. So academic painting has become a special direction. In the 19th century, one of the most prominent manifestations of academicism was the work of J. L. Gerome, Alexandre Cabannel, J. Ingres. Classical canons were replaced by realistic ones only at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was realism that at the beginning of the 20th century became the basic method of teaching in academies, turning into a dogmatic system.
Baroque
Baroque is a style and era of art, which is characterized by aristocracy, contrast, dynamism of images, simple details when depicting abundance, tension, drama, luxury, a fusion of reality and illusion. This style appeared in Italy in 1600 and spread throughout Europe. Caravaggio and Rubens are its most prominent representatives. Baroque is often compared with expressionism, however, unlike the latter, it does not have too repulsive effects. Paintings of this style today are characterized by the complexity of lines and an abundance of ornaments.
Cubism
Cubism is an avant-garde art movement that originated in the 20th century. Its creator is Pablo Picasso. Cubism made a real revolution in the sculpture and painting of Europe, inspiring the creation of similar trends in architecture, literature, and music. Artistic painting in this style is characterized by recombined, broken objects that have an abstract form. When depicting them, many points of view are used.
Expressionism
Expressionism is another important trend in contemporary art that appeared in Germany in the first half of the 20th century. At first it covered only poetry and painting, and then spread to other areas of art.
Expressionists depict the world subjectively, distorting reality to create a greater emotional effect. Their goal is to make the viewer think. Expression in expressionism prevails over the image. It can be noted that many works are characterized by motifs of torment, pain, suffering, screaming (the work of Edvard Munch, presented above, is called "The Scream"). Expressionist artists are not at all interested in material reality, their paintings are filled with deep meaning and emotional experiences.
Impressionism
Impressionism - a direction of painting, aimed mainly at working in the open air (open air), and not in the studio. It owes its name to the painting "Impression, Sunrise" by Claude Monet, which is shown in the photo below.
The word "impression" in English is impression. Impressionistic paintings convey primarily the light sensation of the artist. The main features of painting in this style are as follows: barely visible, thin strokes; change in lighting, accurately conveyed (attention is often focused on the effect of the passage of time); open composition; a simple common goal; movement as a key element of human experience and perception. The most prominent representatives of such a trend as impressionism are Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre Renoir.
Modernism
The next direction is modernism, which originated as a set of trends in various fields of art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Parisian "Salon of the Rejected" was opened in 1863. Artists whose paintings were not allowed in the official salon were exhibited here. This date can be considered the date of the emergence of modernism as a separate direction in art. Otherwise, modernism is sometimes called "another art". His goal is to create unique paintings that are not like others. The main feature of the works is a special vision of the world by the author.
Artists in their work rebelled against the values of realism. Self-awareness is a striking characteristic of this trend. This often leads to experimentation with form as well as a penchant for abstraction. Representatives of modernism pay special attention to the materials used and the work process. One of its most prominent representatives are Henry Matisse (his work "The Red Room" of 1908 is presented above) and Pablo Picasso.
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the main direction of painting in Northern Europe from the middle of the 18th century until the end of the 19th. It is characterized by a return to the features of the ancient Renaissance and even the times of classicism. In architectural, artistic and cultural terms, neoclassicism emerged as a response to Rococo, which was perceived as a shallow and artsy style of art. Neoclassical artists, thanks to their good knowledge of church laws, tried to introduce canons into their work. However, they avoided simply reproducing classical motifs and themes. Neoclassical artists tried to place their painting within the framework of tradition and thus demonstrate mastery of the genre. Neoclassicism in this respect is directly opposed to modernism, where improvisation and self-expression are considered virtues. Its most famous representatives include Nicolas Poussin, Raphael.
Pop Art
The last direction that we will consider is pop art. He appeared in Britain in the mid-50s of the last century, and in the late 50s - in America. Pop art is believed to have originated as a reaction to the ideas of abstract expressionism that dominated at the time. Speaking about this direction, it is impossible not to mention In 2009, "Eight Elvis", one of his paintings, was sold for 100 million dollars.
The triumphant return of the classic painting; Andy Warhol digital revolution and other interesting things that are happening in the world of fine arts
Modern art is no longer modern. Contemporary art, with all its postmodern tricks, was invented a century ago.
Skinned carcasses of cows, video performances - at first it was exciting, but the question arises, what's next. Can artists come up with something even more abstract and incomprehensible than Kazimir Malevich's square and Jackson Pollock's splashes?
Think outside the box- advised the notorious Banksy. New trends in art and the art market came from an unexpected direction.
Trend number 1.
Hand drawn picture: return to the throne
According to critics, the painting was “dying” until recently, being replaced by other types of art – video art, installation… At the end of the 2000s, the situation changed dramatically: the painting was revived as a genre.
The border between fine art ("fine art" made in the old fashioned way, with a brush on canvas) and contemporary art (with its deliberate madness and noncoformism) suddenly disappeared somewhere.
Spectators, and first of all - the artists themselves - terribly missed the paintings in the traditional sense. And it turns out that far from everything has been said here.
However, to grab attention in the gigantic, oversaturated art market, a painting must be truly talented.
Czech artists Svetlana Kurmaz and Alexander Sokht are bright representatives of the new trend. Famous in Europe and the USA, they are almost unknown in Russia, although they come from the Krasnodar Territory.
The married couple emigrated to Prague a long time ago. Quite quickly, their work gained success with the Western community.
Russian emigrants with a difficult fate are now included in the list of the most sought-after pool of participants in the prestigious world art fairs and biennials.
Not least thanks to a new approach to doing art business - therefore, it is on their example that we will consider the latest trends.
From myself I will say: I recently crossed paths with the brilliant works of Kurmaz and Sokht and, without any hesitation, I urge you to familiarize yourself with it. It absolutely deserves it.
Trend number 2.
A revolution of interfaces: you draw on a tablet, you get a canvas with oil.
The widespread use of the iPad mechanic has seriously affected the technology of creating paintings. For example, diasec frontal printing has become popular: in a principle similar to printing photographs, paints are applied to acrylic.
Nadezhda Voronina, art critic:
- Alexander Sokht creates his works in graphic programs, which he then transfers to canvas, paper or diasec. In this way, innovative techniques help the evolution of the creative method.
Trend number 3.
Democratization of the art market: now art is collected not by bored millionaires, but by ordinary students and housewives.
Surprising fact: the original work of a famous master can now cost less than $100. The European audience has already tasted the delights of art shopping and is massively buying up the works of contemporaries.
The democratization of prices for high art is especially noticeable in the long-term success of the largest international fair AAF(Affordable Art Fair, accessible art fair)
For its organizers, the most important criterion for selecting works is their cost: it should not exceed the price ceiling available to people of average income.
Marketing in the era of copy-paste and repost reinterpreted Warhol's ideas: the picture can now be produced in several versions and at different prices.
For example, the works of the same Kurmaz and Sokhta are quite expensive. But they came up with a strategy that allows them to capture three different price categories.
The accessibility strategy is achieved through the release of limited editions on paper and canvases of author's originals.
That is, a work can exist in five copies, but each of them is an original, which is confirmed by an international certificate.
Trend number 5.
Galleries are now opened not by gallerists, but by the artists themselves.
The most important trend: the personal gallery of artists is becoming the main place of interaction between art market participants. This is the same advanced formation as a small shop, where the owner himself stands behind the counter.
Nadezhda Voronina, art critic
- In the center of Prague, Kurmaz and Sokht have their own gallery, created to exhibit themselves. Perhaps this is one of the most successful options for a modern gallery that exhibits and sells art, since everything is merged here - a clear concept, goals and objectives of the artist. This is the type of gallery of the future, because in modern art everything is simplified.
In this case, the mechanics of Facebook and Twitter work. Direct communication between the author and connoisseurs of his work becomes a more winning strategy than communication through agents and buyers.
(Translation of Tara Leaver’s article “Finding your own artistic style: A practical guide” –
Many of us find it difficult to find our own recognizable artistic style. And this applies not only to beginners in drawing, but also to experienced artists.
Perhaps you begin to doubt even before the brush touches the canvas, remembering the different criticisms of your teachers, or simply getting lost in the huge number of different possible ideas and inspirations received from different courses. Or maybe both at the same time!
It's no surprise that once you find your style, you'll feel amazing!
Today I see some easy ways to find and develop your own style.
Every person has it, you just need to help him express himself. We develop it through constant practice and exercises, but there is also an unconscious part, that which comes not through “hands”, but from the heart.
I know this idea seems obvious, but it is this combination that allows us to start working on developing our individual style. Received from the outside, this idea gives you the opportunity to more clearly imagine where it is better to start to know your work and find your style.
Everything you read below is not exhaustive information on this topic. These are just starting points for you to find your own path.
Take your latest work, put it where you can easily view it. Answer the questions in sequence, noting your reactions and observations along the way. You can make written notes if you like.
We're off to find treasure!
The main treasure is your own creativity.
Think about what you draw most often
- What themes and subjects attract you the most in drawing? If you are at a loss with an answer, look at your paintings and work folders in search of an answer.
Personally, I try to remember my preferences in plots, how often I work on a particular topic. And somewhere at home I also have a sheet from a notebook where I write down this information. So when I'm having trouble answering a question about my favorite subject in drawing, I look inside myself or this sheet.
So, I love drawing boats! And also fish, figures and trees.
The list of favorite topics does not need to be completely complete or exhaustive at this stage. It is enough to single out a few of them for yourself in order to have a starting point.
A selection of works with experiments and creative searches on the theme of trees. You can see the common features that connect the works - sinuous lines and contour drawing.
What colors do you like?
- Think about the color palette you use by default.
- What does your latest work have to say about repetitive color choices?
My work palette lately includes aqua, blue, Nepalese yellow, fluorescent pink and white, for which I use gesso acrylic primer. This gives me a nice range of darks, mids and highlights. I really enjoy playing with these colors, they fully meet my needs and requirements at the moment.
what about you?
On the left is my photo, on the right is a drawing from it. I used colors from "my" palette and experimental technique.
What are your style features?
- What do you like more - graphic lines or working with large areas of color?
- Do you like to use unusual techniques when working with a brush?
- Or maybe you prefer not to use a spray toothbrush in your work?
- Do you like to create so-called patterns, patterns, or do you prefer to work with more imagination and scope?
The features of my style are contour lines, often uneven and blurry, sometimes “dirty” in color. I am inspired by the work of Egon Schiele. I also love the nervous color contrasts, the subtly flexible pattern.
Analyze which techniques you especially like and are close to, give a sense of satisfaction with your creativity. Develop them, stick to them in your future works.
Drawing of a fish in walnut ink. Experiment with lines.
What technique, art material do you like?
- Perhaps you have several. What do you like the most?
I love working with oil pastels. But most of all I like working with acrylic and using a medium in my work. This allows me to control the drying process of paints, to play with the result. It dries quickly and is just as easy to clean.
If you have one favorite technique, then this means that you can explore all its possibilities, improve your skills, and therefore your work in general.
I did not use references for this work. There are only two of my favorite media - acrylic and oil pastel.
What inspires you?
So, we have considered the main issues that you need to pay special attention to in search of your style. Now let's digress a little, look at the work of other artists and think about what we could borrow from them for ourselves.
I recommend doing this after you have answered the previous four questions. Before you start reviewing and evaluating the work of other artists, you first need to understand your own work.
If you are sure that you have identified for yourself the main features of your work, this makes it easier for you to find the work of other artists who are close to you in style and vision of the world. It will be easier for you to evaluate their work, and look for features that you would like to add to your work, your style.
It was created to collect and share visual information. There is a sea of various pictures, photographs and images. Set a few key queries, look at the result.
You can create your own personal board, on which you will collect (pin it - Pin it!) Everything that inspires and interests you, be it an interesting composition in one picture, a color palette in another, an artist's style in a third, or a plot in a fourth.
I don't collect paintings by other artists on my board. I don't do this because they don't inspire me. I just want to be free from what other artists painted at the moment when I start to create, to look for my own plots and solutions.
Reference photos (photo sources for drawing) will partially help you with this. They can serve you well, so keep them handy or save photos to your Pinterest board that inspire you.
In addition, by carefully looking at the photos you have collected, you will certainly see clues about what you are interested in at the moment and what to do next.
Yes, Pinterest is like a rabbit hole! If you can't tear yourself away from it, set a timer.
On the left is a photo from Pinterest, on the right is my work, which I was inspired by this photo.
Beginner artist mistakes
