Education and Inspiration

Ongoing correction and development is par for the course as paintings develop beyond the first or second stage. One of the ways this “massaging” occurs is through the nuance and complexity of the painted surface. Paint isn’t just a means to an end; it is the substance of our creation and imbued with all our emotion and thought processes.

A shape without any differentiation or variegation is much flatter than a shape that does have such variegation. Variegation is defined as “exhibiting different colors, especially as irregular patches or streaks”.) The fun begins when you realize that this variegation gives the surface dimension, both in the literal sense (near and far) and in the metaphorical sense (a new place or perspective). A richness of surface is ultimately a reflection of a love affair with the paint itself, and one of the hallmarks of a good work of art.

A richer and more nuanced surface often happens naturally as an automatic extension of your painterly style. But sometimes you need to push the envelope a little. It nearly always happens when you layer wet paint over dry (if you don’t completely cover the previous layer). This layering can range from the most glazey and transparent to nearly opaque.

It can be done without any glazing at all, with a dry brush or broken color. Consider the Impressionist surface, the height of layered, unglazed complexity. It can happen by building up the texture of the paint, or be generated by the ground itself, such coarse canvas or textured watercolor paper.

variegation It can happen subtractively, by wiping out freshly applied paint or by scraping back through wet or dry layers. Or it can happen by adding materials to the paint, like marble dust or paint peels. Suffice to say, layers are the key. The more layers applied, the more interesting and nuanced the surface becomes.

Example: The color chip exercise at right demonstrates how a variegated and/or layered surface adds depth and interest. Each square is intended to bear some analogy to each other (there is some purple in each one), and each square is intended to advance or recede. To create the variegation, semi-dry brush strokes of acrylic on textured watercolor paper were used. Each square has a dominant hue (magenta, purple, etc.), yet each is comprised of subtle variations. Those variations are far more interesting than a solid, unvariegated patch of the same color would be.

Example: The painting below (Mitchell Albala, Ballard Bridge, 2000, 30" x 22") has a rich and nuanced surface that allows the painting to exist on multiple levels. It can be a literal depiction of the subject (a bridge in fog) while simultaneously being a celebration of the paint itself. Paint isn’t just a means to an end; it is the substance of our creation and is imbued with all our emotions and thought processes.

Here, a variegated surface is achieved largely through variable texture. The detail shows a portion of the upper part of the bridge and some of the background. The thickest strokes are reserved for the “positive” form of the girders of the bridge, while thinner strokes are used in the background. This supports the illusion of a solid bridge against an airy sky.

Ballard Bridge by Mitchell Albala