Fine Art Painting and Drawing Techniques
Luigi Carlo
The Art of Painting Painting reaches back in time of artifacts from prehistoric humans, and spans all cultures. It represents a river of creativity that is an important element of cultural expression and visual communication. The painting imagery and composition has evolved with culture of the various countries and civilizations. New media are incorporated in the art world and combined with the traditional ones. Each painting style often evolves from the styles that came before it. Every great artist adds is own contribution to the accomplishments of earlier painters, and the novel ideas influence later painters. Humans can enjoy a work of art for its beauty alone, the forms and colors work in concert to form compositional features that appeal to our senses and linger in our memories. In addition to the aesthetical aspects, paintings describe the essence of people and nature communicating feelings and convey emotions. The art enjoyment is enhanced when the viewers learn about the essence of the specific painting, when, why and how it was created. Throughout history, painting has mirrored the changing world and our ideas about it. In turn, artists have provided some of the best records of the development of civilization, sometimes revealing more than the written word.
The Artist Luigi Carlo Luigi Carlo was born in Italy, and since a young age he is fascinated by art. He dedicated himself to study this discipline at school, and continued studying and exploring art, experimenting novel techniques and compositions. Luigi in his artwork uses different techniques and media such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, and pencils. Luigi painting style is unique, he applies classical painting techniques in a modern and contemporary life setting, where tradition and innovation coexist harmoniously. Luigi has done numerous exhibitions both in Italy and England, and he gained a good recognition as a fine artist. Luigi’s artwork was selected and is featured in the international catalog of modern art.
Oil Painting The use of oil paints in its modern form started during the 15th century. The Flemish painter, Jan van Eyck, was one of the earlier artists to use oil painting, by mixing pigments with linseed and nuts oils. The composition of this medium was modified and further developed by a number of other painters including Antonello da Messina, Leonardo da Vinci and Titian. These Italian artists improved upon the recipe by making it an ideal medium for representing details, forms and figures with a range of colors, shadows and depths. During the Renaissance, often referred to as the Golden Age of painting, artists developed their crafts and established many of the painting techniques. The old masters of the Renaissance created realistic images, also capturing the intensity of human emotions. The refinement of oil painting came through studies of perspective, proportion and human anatomy. Painting with oils enables to create a palette of vibrant colors, and oil on canvas painting continues to be a favored choice of serious painters because of its longlasting color, also enabling to employ a variety of approaches and methods.
Since the Renaissance, the masters used oils to create works that continue to inspire, intrigue and delight, and today, artists continue to use this medium to express their visions, goals and emotions. Oil painting is perhaps the medium that has created the most significant impact on the development of painting as visual art form, and numerous masterpieces exhibited on gallery walls of the most prestigious museums worldwide were painted using this medium. Oil painting is probably the favored medium among art collectors, as well as among people with different backgrounds. Luigi is an extremely versatile artist, and throughout the creating experience of painting his energy is free to surge across the mediums of expression. Luigi Carlo uses different painting techniques, and his artwork includes oil on canvas, oil on canvas with genuine 24 carat gold leaves, acrylics, watercolor, pastels , mixed media and pencil drawings. Images of some Luigi’s artwork in different media are included in this book.
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait of Brad Pitt Medium: Oil on Canvas Size: 50 x 40 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait of a Gentleman Medium: Oil on Canvas Size: 50 x 40 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait of a Lady Medium: Oil on Canvas Size: 50 x 40 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait of a Tiger Medium: Oil on Canvas Size: 50 x 40 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: London Millennium Bridge Medium: Oil on Canvas Size: 50 x 50 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: London surrounded by a beautiful landscape Medium: Oil on Canvas Size: 50 x 40 cm
Oil Painting with Gold Leaves Gold leaf is Gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding. Genuine Gold leaf is sometimes confused with metal leaf but they are different products. The term metal leaf is normally used for thin sheets of metal of any color that do not contain any real gold. Genuine Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of carats and shades, the higher the carats the higher is the percentage of Gold. Layering Gold leaf over a surface is called gold leafing or gilding, and has remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years and is still done by hand. Gold leaf has traditionally been most popular and most common in its use as gilding material for decoration of art (including statues and Christian icons) or the picture frames that are often used to hold or decorate paintings The use of Gold leaves in painting has a very long tradition. Byzantine artwork often combines painting with gold leaves. The Artist Gustav Klimt was inspired by the use of Gold leaves in painting, which he saw applied in artwork during his travel to Italy. Luigi Carlo in his artwork also Combines the use of Gold leaves. Luigi in his artwork applies 23 ½ or 24 carats genuine Gold leaves (almost pure Gold).
The portrait of Angelina Jolie (see image) is painted in oils combined with genuine 24 carat Gold leaves. The portrait “The Golden Reclining Nude”, is an artwork (see image) painted in oils, and all the jewelry that the sitter wears, as well as the decorations and motifs of the drapery are created by applying genuine 24 carats Gold leaves. While, the portrait “Lady with Golden Suntan” is a painting (see image) in which 24 carats genuine Gold leaves were applied on the the sitter to represents the reflections of sunlight. This provides the artwork with a sparkling effect, and depending on the viewer position the intensity of the light reflections varies, it seems that the sitter in the painting shines with her own gleam. The combination of oils with Gold leaves enhances the artwork, providing it with unique and exquisite features.
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait of Angelina Jolie Medium: Oil on Canvas, with genuine 24 carat Gold leaves (the earring is in Gold) Size: 50 x 40 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait The Golden Reclining Nude Medium: Oil on Canvas, with genuine 24 carat Gold leaves (jewelry as well as fabric decorations and motifs are in Gold) Size: 50 x 40 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait Lady with Golden Suntan Medium: Oil on Canvas, with genuine 24 carat Gold leaves (the reflections of light on the sitter’s skin are in Gold) Size: 50 x 40 cm
Watercolor Painting The evolution of watercolor painting began in antiquity when prehistoric humans painted cave walls with mixtures of ochre, charcoal and other pigments found in nature to create visual representations of the wild beasts encountered in the world around them. From this primitive beginning, innovations, such as the development of paper, the improvements in pigments and the awareness of aesthetic techniques, contributed to the growth of watercolor as a fine art medium. Watercolor is the medium in which the pigments of paints are suspended in a water-soluble vehicle. The traditional and most common support for watercolor paintings is paper; other supports include papyrus, bark papers, plastics, vellum or leather, fabric, wood, and canvas. Watercolors are usually transparent, and appear luminous because the pigments are laid down in a relatively pure form with few fillers obscuring the pigment colors. Watercolor can also be made opaque by adding Chinese white. Whether possessing rich, vivid tones or offering soft, soothing compositions, artists’ work with watercolor demonstrates the power, development and versatility of this celebrated medium. In present days watercolor painting is appreciated by many peoples, especially in landscape and still life painting.
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Landscape with a Castle Technique: Watercolor Size: 30 x 21 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Vase with Flowers Technique: Watercolor Size: 30 x 21 cm
Acrylics Painting Acrylics paint was developed in the late 1940s, and has only a brief history compared to other visual arts media, such as watercolor and oil. Polymer-based acrylic entered the market as house paint, but its many benefits brought it to the attention of painters. By the 1950s, artists began using quick-drying acrylic to avoid oil paint’s considerable drying time. These artists found that the synthetic paint was very versatile and possessed much potential. For many contemporary artists, acrylic became a good vehicle to drive their crafts. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. As time passed, manufacturers improved methods by formulating artistic acrylic paints with richer pigments. Depending on how much the paint is diluted (with water) or modified with acrylic gels, media, or pastes, the finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting. Even though, acrylic artist paints may be thinned with water and used as washes in the manner of watercolor paints, however, the washes are not re-hydratable once dry. For this reason, acrylics do not lend themselves to color lifting techniques as do gum arabic based watercolor paints.
Also, acrylic does have some other limitations. Its quick-drying plasticity discourages blending and weton-wet techniques, therefore creating boundaries for artists. Nonetheless, acrylic can be used in mixed media works, such as collage, and its versatility lends itself to experimentation and innovation. Artists who embraced acrylic in their work created fresh, new approaches reflecting all that this medium can offer.Â
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Girl with a little dog Technique: Acrylics Size: 42 x 30 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: A Bird Technique: Acrylics Size: 42 x 30 cm
Pastels Pastels have a long tradition in art, and by the 15th century, pastel was used in studies for paintings or murals. Da Vinci is believed to have used it in his “The Last Supper” studies. Through the ages, many artists have created artwork in pastel. From the 17th century, as artists used it to further their own crafts, and their work contributed to the development of the medium. The Venetian artist, Rosalba Carriera popularized pastel in the late-1600s. Her works possess a delicate feeling and soft look, which results from her rubbing and blending techniques. Pastel were also largely used by the French artist Edgar Degas Unlike other artistic media, pastel offers the experience of painting with dry colors. Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints. The pastels binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation. Dry pastels are available in varying degrees of hardness, and the softer varieties are often wrapped in paper. As pastel colors are applied dry, artists know immediately what effect a color will have on a composition.
With techniques, like blending and scruffing, artists control tones and shading. One disadvantage of pastel is that the image is never secure, and the slightest touch can compromise the composition. Liquid fixatives, such as those used for charcoal, are apt to reduce the brilliance of the color. Therefore, the protection of glass and gentle handling are often the best means of preservation. However, given the high percentage of pigments present in pastels, which allows the artists to create vibrant compositions with vivid colors, pastels artwork are largely appreciated still in the present days by many collectors and art lovers. Â
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait of Grace Kelly Technique: Pastels on Paper Size: 42 x 30 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: On my way to stardom Technique: Pastels on Paper Size: 42 x 30 cm
Pop Art Pop Art originated in Britain in the mid 1950s and later in the United States was given its greatest impetus during the 1960s. The majority of Pop artists began their careers in commercial art. Their background in the commercial art world trained them in the visual vocabulary of mass culture. Pop Art includes recognizable imagery, drawn from popular media and products, frequently with very vivid colors. The imagery is generally flat and was influenced by newspaper photographs and comic books. Typical images of Pop Art are portraits of celebrities or fictional characters in comic books, as well as advertisements and fan magazines. Many artworks share a direct attachment to the commonplace image of American popular culture, but also treat the subject in an impersonal manner clearly illustrating the idealization of the imagery.
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait of Audrey Hepburn Style: Pop Art Size: 42 x 30 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Mona Lisa Painting the Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci Style: Pop Art Size: 42 x 30 cm
Drawing Drawing is a form of visual art and includes graphite pencil, pen and ink. Drawing is one of the major forms of expression within the visual arts and represented a fundamental form of public expression throughout human history. It is one of the simplest and most efficient means of communicating visual ideas. From the 14th century onwards, artists' drawings, both preparatory studies and finished works, became increasingly popular. The wide availability of drawing instruments makes drawing more common than other media. The common pencil (from the Latin “peniculus” meaning brush), is used by draftsmen around the world, as it is the most immediate and sensitive of the drawing media, being capable of producing quick sketches or finely worked drawings. Pencils have cores made from powdered graphite (not lead) fired with clay, varying in hardness. The type of graphite used in pencils is relatively soft and malleable, a little like lead, and was mistakenly thought to be a form of lead when first discovered. Graphite leaves a small, smooth particle on the paper that has a slight sheen. Pencils are available in varying degrees of hardness, and the mark their produce varies accordingly. Graphite pencils are used by artists to create preparatory drawings and studies for their paintings, as well as to produce finishes artworks in their own rights.
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Portrait of Ingrid Bergman Technique: Pencil on Paper Size: 42 x 30 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Reclining Nude Portrait (study) Technique: Pencil on Paper Size: 42 x 30 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Lion (study) Medium: Pencil on paper Size: 30 x 21 cm
Artist: Luigi Carlo Title: Little Dog Medium: Pencil on Paper Size: 30 x 21 cm
Fine Art on Commission I am a professional painter with a long experience. I offer customized fine art portrait in different media including oils, watercolor, acrylics, pastels and pencil drawings. The visual power and the evocative impact of portrait painting have fascinated and enchanted many people for centuries. Having your own portrait painting is seeing yourself differently, from a wider dimension and different perspective, and is both a fulfilling and satisfying experience. You can commission a portrait of yourself, or on behalf of a family member or friend. A portrait painting is a timeless treat appreciated by many people. Also, you can commission a painting of other categories including landscapes, cityscapes, wildlife and pets, and still life. I can use your photographs as the reference for the painting, or simply from an idea you have for an artwork.
It does not matter where you are based, as we can communicated and discuss via email, and the completed painting can be shipped worldwide. If you wish to commission a painting, here is a brief outline of the process: •Choose the photo you would like to be use as the reference for the artwork. •If you have an idea for the painting but you don’t have the reference photos, please email me and describe your idea. •Decide on the medium (you can choose from the various media described in this fine art catalog), and size of the artwork. •Send the reference photos and your decision regarding medium and size of the painting, and I’ll provide you with a quote for the artwork. If you have any question please email: art.luigicarlo@yahoo.co.uk and I’ll happy to help.
Luigi Carlo