Painting Styles

Examining an artist's painting style and composition is a great way to supplement your painting practice.

Here are popular painting styles to learn.

Realism

Most people consider realism to be "genuine art," where the subject of the artwork is depicted as closely as possible to the real object instead of being stylized or exaggerated. What seems to be solid colors is a sequence of strokes of various colors when studied closely.

Since the Medieval age, realism has been the prevailing painting style. Viewpoint is used to produce a sense of space and height, depicting the object realistically.

Painterly

As industrialization set in in the early part of the nineteenth century, the painterly style emerged. Artists began showing and focusing on the quality of their brushstrokes and pigments. By flattening off roughness or markings left in the paints by a paintbrush or rubber spatula, artists were able to showcase the fluidity of their work.

Impressionism

Impressionism started in Europe in the 1880s when artists strove to capture lighting via movement and illusions rather than reality. Objects keep their realism while displaying a brightness that is peculiar to this genre. It's difficult to think that there were so many critics of this art during this era What was considered a sloppy and incomplete drawing style is admired and esteemed and even bought by millions today.

Expressionism and Fauvism

Artists of this style employ thick brushstrokes and horrible motifs to depict the bizarre and terror of daily life.

Considering their innovative use of color, the Fauvists intended to build compositions that reflected existence in an idealized or exotic environment.

Abstract

Painting became less about depicting subjects accurately in the 21st century. Abstract style is about painting the core concept and idea of a topic rather than the observable features as to how the painter perceives it. An artist can condense the subject to its dominant colors, forms, or textures.

These are the common painting styles you can study and practice. There are also many online platforms you can visit and buy various styles of painting. Check out Ino Chang's work to buy paintings and learn more about painting landscape art, portrait drawing, and animal drawing.