Artist Terms and Techniques that can be found in The FREEDOM Painting

Realism (Representational Art)  (Romanticism)  Representational art or realism is art that looks like something that is real, like a person, object or landscape.  There are differing degrees of realism from “photo realism” where the artist provides extreme detail to represent the subject faithfully and often looks very much like a photo, to impressionism where the artist conveys something that is real but in a way that it looks mostly like the subject but isn’t a direct copy of it.  Sharon’s work is typically referred to as Romantic Realism because her subjects are often enhanced to look as we imagine they should or idealized (romanticized) to look as the could be.   

Old Master’s Technique     This is a general reference to the process of creating oil paintings primarily during the Renaissance by artists who employed oil colors in layers with attention to light and shadow to achieve good realism in their paintings. 

Flemish Technique (Layered Technique)   There are variations of this technique, but all –including Sharon’s – include 1. Pencil or charcoal sketch on a good foundation (gesso) 2.  Imprimatura layer, 3. At least one Umber layer sometimes two or more also called the underpainting  4. The Verdaccio layer or Grisaille layer, 5 – 7 color layers which may also incorporate glazes.  In this painting Sharon used 3 color layers in most areas although some sections received 4 color layers including glazes.

Venetian Style – This style associated with the Renaissance particularly in Venice, Italy is characterized by a use of rich colors – particularly golds and reds – and an emphasis on patterns and surfaces.  Sharon loves to paint flowing fabrics and this painting has numerous robes and flowing gowns.

Composition - Defined as the organization of the elements within the painting.  In this painting Sharon has arranged the subjects to draw the viewer’s eye across the key areas of the painting.  Subtle placement of accessories and clothing are used to coordinate different areas of the painting. i.e. The soldier’s rifle in the same line as the Hispanic child’s arm.   There are many examples of this throughout the painting.  Composition is not only influenced by the placement of elements, it is also involves the use of color.  Note the placement of the red items that provide balance to the overall composition.

Stretcher The wooden frame that support the canvas.  Made of high quality hard wood that is fitted together so that it can be expanded should the canvas become too loose over time.  Wooden keys are used in the corners to expand them when necessary.  The canvas is “stretched” and wrapped around the stretcher as tight as possible , then stapled with stainless steel staples  to provide the firm surface for the artist.

Canvas (Belgian Linen)- Canvas material comes in a variety of types from very coarse cotton duct to tightly woven Belgian Linen.  Sharon uses Belgian Linen because the tighter weave allows for more detail in the painting.

Gesso    This provides the white ground that serves as the base for the painting.  There are several types of gesso but the most popular are acrylic.  The freedom painting used 2 layers of traditional oil based gesso made with lead white and rabbit skin glue. 

Imprimatura  This is the first layer, after the sketch is drawn on the canvas,  in Sharon’s modified Flemish technique.  It is an initial stain or toning of the canvas which is transparent and allows light to pass through and reflect of the white gesso.  It helps establish value relationships from  dark and light areas.  Sharon’s imprimatura is made with raw sienna diluted with turpentine.

Umber layer  This is the second layer and is often referred to as the underpainting.  The umber layer is painted with burnt umber and results in a monochromatic view that establishes the tonality of the painting.  It is not uncommon for Sharon to do a second umber layer to darken the tones of certain areas of the painting.

Underpainting  see Umber layer  - helps to establish the values of subsequent color layers.

Oiling out  This is the process of rubbing linseed oil on dry areas of the painting that are going to be painted on again.  The oil after applied is almost completely wiped off with lint free paper towels  and provides a more receptive surface for those areas where Sharon is applying the next layer.

Verdaccio (dead layer)  This layer is also referred to as the “dead” layer.  It again is completely monochromatic and is a light olive green.  It establishes the full tonal range from dark to light in the painting.  When verdaccio is finished you can see depth (dimension) in the painting.  You often can see some of the verdaccio peeking through later color layers in the finished painting – particularly in flesh tones.

Color Layers - On top of the Verdaccio layer the artist then proceeds to build up very thin layers of color on the painting.  A painting like this done in the Flemish technique can have as many as 10 or more very thin layers of transparent color paint.

Color Harmony  This is probably the  most overlooked property in a painting.  If done well it simply looks right.  If not – you know that something just isn’t quite right with the painting.  In this painting, Sharon spent many hours planning the color palate and preparing just the right color mix.   The central theme of the painting was planned by the very warm glow of Liberty’s torch.  Nearly every area of the painting is lit from that single very warm light source.  As a romantic realist, Sharon often changes or modifies certain colors to better coordinate the painting.  However she has to stay true to the colors that result from light reflecting from other objects onto flesh tones.  The human eye will adjust your perception of colors to make flesh tones look “normal” as your memory knows it should look.  But, when for instance the protestant minister (the one with the Bible) is standing next to a woman in the bright orange hijab it looks normal for his flesh tone to contain those orange colors.