[aphelionart]

i'm wondering about people's opinions on this, because it's something i am constantly reconsidering while i work:

when you paint, do you paint with the exact color you intend, or do you allow layers to show through? i seem to remember reading that sargent always taught to paint thickly rather than glazing, because it was 'merely a trick' ...

although i've seen many great artists allowing a lot of their underlying work to show through, and it does make for interesting texture...

i see benefits of both, although perhaps sargent's approach is something to strive for? it does make for a bolder, usually more impressive look, if nothing else. perhaps both techniques can work together, but then i also wonder if there's any opinions on how to achieve that.

-matt

[cheney]

Ultimately neither are right or wrong in the world, but merely so in your perception. The method that benefits your interests, skills, and time management in the most productive manner will inevitabely become your method of choice.

Picking colors with direct intent allows for a more advanced and skilled approach to color choice and color theory. This is harder to learn, but will produce more traditional results and a more academic approach. Impression, for instant, could not be achieved without a direct approach to color and fluid brush strokes. This method tends to produce more dramatic results.

Painting with transparency allows for technics not possible with painting with direct colors. Atmospherics, caustics, dynamic reflections, and other complex lighting is best achieved by painting with a high degree of transparency. Layering and transparency is also necessary for more realistic textures. A heavy use of layering in a single image, or using layering to determine colors will often result in a bland color composition. A limited color composition will require post processing to maximize color use by using such advanced features as curves, replace color feature, brightness/contrast, and hue/saturation.

If established traditional painting styles are your goal then you would not gain much from learning the use of transparencies. If realism is your goal then it would be best to know both approaches.
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[aphelionart]

sums it up fairly well.. thanks cheney