Plan for a lesson in painting "drawing using the ala prima technique." Watercolor techniques. Alla prima Watercolor technique - using masking fluid

The alla prima technique can be described as fast, creative manner letters, and translate the Italian term itself with the words “in one go.” The picture, if you work in this manner, is painted immediately in one session, i.e. without steps requiring layers to dry before reapplying subsequent ones. The main thing here comes down to capturing the essence, showing the most interesting things with bold colorful spots, while avoiding glaze - the colors should be pure.
This technique is applicable both in oil painting, and in watercolor, but there are differences - watercolor is fluid and transparent, so it is very important to avoid “dirty” flows, but, at the same time, the infusion of color into color can be used to advantage.
You need to start your work with an analysis of nature - try to conditionally, in your imagination, break the object into spots of color, and do not forget to “weigh” it on a darker/lighter scale. You can start with the most intense ones, bright colors and go to the bright ones. Actually, each spot of color is applied to its place, and the image is put together like a mosaic. You can, of course, re-cover something, but in watercolor this can lead to a loss of freshness.
The “leaf” exercises illustrate the above.

And these are fruits. Isn't it beautiful?

By the way, this technique is indispensable if you need to quickly capture something elusive. Such work can serve as a sketch, or an independent work, if it can be done carefully. As an example, I will try to depict a bird - the most restless creature. The parrot was offered a sprig of grapes, and while he was tormenting it, I began to paint.

I'll start with the bird (I had a minute before it turned the other way).

I paint everything else in exactly the same way - I immediately apply the color that is needed in one place or another.

Perhaps this painting technique seems too free, but it, like no other, contributes to the acquisition of confidence, because it requires a tenacious gaze and a steady hand. The pictorial work will have a living breath and the power of a real impression right from the scene of the event.

Alla prima (ala prima) is a painting technique watercolor on wet, implying work completed in one session. The term applies to both oil and watercolor painting. It's basically one job at a time.

Alla prima oil

Alla prima in watercolor

with descriptions, including technology alla prima. Moreover, as many of my readers have noticed, I speak very highly of her. Indeed, I appreciate this technique and give it credit for the wonderful possibilities it provides.

At the same time, I know that many masters treat alla prima with some disdain, considering it a technique that does not deserve the attention of the creator." eternal paintings", a kind of fun.

Still life using the Alla Prima technique

It is possible to understand them, but it is unlikely to completely agree. And now we will try to take a closer look and understand all the pros and cons of raw technology.

What is alla prima?

Alla prima- this is one of the main techniques of oil painting, the main distinctive feature which is painting the entire picture before the paints are completely dry. This differs from the multilayer technique, which is considered classic.

At multilayer painting paints are applied to the canvas in layers, one on top of the other, and the next layer is applied after the subject has completely dried.

The alla prima technique is also called raw technique and its name itself comes from the Italian term “a la prima” (read as “a la prima”), meaning work in one sitting.

Portrait using Alla Prima technique in 2 hours

It is also interesting that paintings painted in alla prima can actually be called “multi-layered”. Only this technique has a special feature applying paint on top of each other in its raw form.

However, in order to apply one layer of paint over another, which has not yet dried, and get the desired result, it takes a certain skill and special understanding. After all Oil paint pliable, and one layer can partially “disappear” or “dissolve” in another.

What is good about the alla prima technique?

The main advantage of alla prima is the ability to paint a picture very quickly, literally in a few hours, and sometimes even in less than an hour. For this, impressionist masters love her, who need to convey on canvas a fleeting impression, some kind of natural phenomenon that cannot be recorded and painted for weeks.

An example is the painting “Impression. Sunrise" by Claude Monet, which is considered a classic. By the way, it was with this painting that the path of the “Impressionism” style began. The painting depicts a seascape in the morning twilight at the moment of sunrise.

"Impression. Sunrise" by Claude Monet

Obviously, such a picture could have been painted literally in a few minutes, before it was yet dawn. It was also necessary to correctly convey the shades of the sky, water and other objects precisely at the moment of sunrise.

The matter was complicated by the fact that in different days sunrise varies due to fog and cloudiness. And therefore, in order to convey a specific look and special impression, it was necessary paint a picture here and now…. While the artist was especially impressed!

For this “here and now”, the alla prima technique is loved not only by impressionist artists, but also by novice painters. At the learning stage, it is important for them to be able to correctly convey the geometry of shapes and the combination of primary colors, which it’s quite possible to do “a la prima” in one sitting.

Wet technique

It also allows you to practice certain elements of oil painting with a quick result, without delving into the analysis of the composition and analysis of the drawing. This result can already be analyzed and found out whether the artist has mastered this or that element or not.

And for some aspiring artists the very fact of completing the picture is important and immediately obtain the final result. Working long hours in a multi-layered manner that takes days or weeks to complete a painting can confuse them.

And not being sure that the final result will be exactly the way they see it now, many do not finish the painting and give up painting altogether!

For example, multi-layer painting, which has its own algorithm, proven over centuries, is not suitable for everyone, but only for those who are especially patient and focused. You won’t be able to paint a picture like “Here and Now” here!

Alla prima It also makes it possible to quickly complete the work, get pleasure from contemplating it and the confidence that it is worth working further in this direction. Technique alla prima is an impulse, a special state and emotional impression of what comes out of your hand!

Painting using quick technique on wet

Conclusions in favor:

• Overcoming various fears and internal barriers (for example, fear of a white canvas, fear of an unfinished painting and disappointment...)
• Possibility to complete a painting in one or two sessions while the paints are still wet
• The work begins immediately with paints, without deep analysis and detailed drawing
• Have fun and see your painting in the next couple of hours
• The ability to be in a special, impulsive and pleasant emotional state To feel in the “here and now” state

By the way, it has been proven that, being in a “state of impulse,” a person’s endorphins increase, which immediately improves his mood. This is precisely what lovers of painting and creativity in general note first.
, I think you've already heard...

What are the disadvantages of raw technique?

At the same time, the alla prima technique has some disadvantages.
I'll talk about them briefly:

• Some incompleteness of the paintings, a loose depiction of objects, their shapes, small elements on the canvas, possible simplicity of the image;
• The difficulty of conveying the play of colors and shades without much experience;
• The difficulty of working with the relief of a painting without skill

The fundamental “disadvantage” of alla prima is considered to be the tendency of the artists working in it to constantly simplify your paintings.

Simplified plots using the Alla Prima technique

Because of this, in some cases, the works lose their artistic value and turn into simply strokes of paint, which the author tries to present and interpret as an expression of his feelings and thoughts. Abstraction, in a word...

Fragment from the film “1+1”

Great paintings and masters who painted in alla prima

And yet, it was painting that significantly changed and allowed the entire movement in art to survive the advent of photography and emerge from competition with it.

Alla Prima showed that painting can serve not only for documenting images, landscapes and objects, but also to reflect the author's inner feelings. Alla Prima partly contributed to the fact that painting turned from a craft into an art.

By the way, it was the alla prima technique that allowed artists to go out and create outside their workshop in natural daylight. That’s how the well-known word and concept “Plein Air” was born, that is, on fresh air.

Painting a la prima in the fresh air

Various landscapes are usually painted in the open air, and it is not surprising that when going out in public, technology has become increasingly popular And big number adherents. Creating in nature is much more pleasant than being in a stuffy workshop!

I have already spoken about Claude Monet’s painting above. I will only add that it was terribly criticized by critics to smithereens, which did not in the least affect Monet’s desire to continue writing in the same direction! Later Vincent Van Gogh, John Sargent, Robert Henry and others painted in this technique.

Interesting Facts:

Painting technique raw has existed for quite a long time, with16th century. It was used for portrait sketches, as well as sketches of landscapes on canvas in the fresh air (plein air), before continuing the painting in the studio. Well, they began to use this style of painting for finished paintings a little later.

From the paintings written entirely in alla prima, quite a few works are known. For example, many paintings by Velazquez, a Spanish court artist 17th century, Franz Hals - Dutch portrait painter of the 17th century, Jean-Honoré Fragonard - French master of engravings XVIII century or Eugene Delacroix, a French graphic artist and paint master of the 19th century. Also sketches for Repin’s painting “State Council”, and seascapes Winslow Homer and many others.

Paintings famous masters using the alla prima technique

Some tips for those who are starting to master the alla prima technique

Now I’ll say something somewhat contradictory: The alla prima technique is difficult. Yes, yes, even though I said that beginners prefer it, you need to understand what to really write significant work it's difficult.

Here you need to perfectly feel the shades of paint and the manner of applying them to the canvas in order to get the desired effect in one go. Therefore, in order to master the technique, need to start small:

• Choose a light canvas primer that will not set off the paint, for example, pinkish or yellowish;
• If you need a drawing (sketch), then use charcoal, not pressing too hard, applying airily.
• Feel the opportunity to quickly get results, see what happens, then complicate the task;
• Don’t be afraid if the first pictures are full of mistakes and shortcomings. This is fine. After all, it is these mistakes, noticed in time, that will allow you to write even better in the future;

Or something may happen that will be just another step for you to conquer traditional multi-layer oil painting. But to understand this, you need to try to paint a picture now⇓

Video for dessert: idea how to draw a landscape quickly, easily and fabulously

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Ask your questions below in the comments, I usually answer all questions quickly

Translated from Italian, “alla prima” means “in one step.” This is a technique in which the drawing is done straight away, without retouching, also known as “painting without underpainting”. If you want to work in this technique, all you need is to be able to finish the drawing before the paint dries. This may require one session or several, although purists argue that one is enough.

This definition leaves room for different interpretations. For example, some say that retouching is acceptable as long as the paint is still wet, while others believe that in the alla prima technique, every stroke matters and should not be corrected. Most people agree that it's okay to wash and redo the areas you don't like. You can choose what you like. For many, this is a favorite technique because it has a sense of spontaneity and freshness.

The alla prima technique, as it exists today, was first used in the 16th century. Flemish artist Frans Hals. It was very different from the then common and very labor-intensive practice of using underpainting and multiple layers of paint. In fact, his one-step drawing techniques have been used since ancient times and are instinctively understandable. Due to its speed, the alla prima technique is often used in plein air painting, oil sketches and preliminary studies.

Use a tinted canvas or base

A white surface can be distracting or confusing. In addition, it will not be scary if there are unpainted parts of the canvas left somewhere. Use a medium or neutral tone. Personally, my favorite color is taupe pink.

Consider the colors

Prepare the colors you want to use and try to limit the palette. Mark the places where there will be a lot of colors, with a brush, pencil or charcoal (you need to be careful with it - make sure that it does not spoil the color of the paint). Remember that the purpose of this preparation is to create a single layer design. Although painting alla prima is to some extent instinctive, good result Without planning it is quite difficult to achieve.

Move from dark to light colors

This is my personal preference; some artists do the opposite, moving from light to dark, or even starting with neutral colors. The benefit of going from dark to light colors is that when you work with fresh paint, the colors blend quickly. It will be difficult to get a rich dark color if there is already a lighter color underneath. The most light colors It's best to use it last.

Be confident

Start with the largest brush and end with the smallest, and do not skimp on paint - apply it liberally. Use confident strokes. Main principle“alla prima” - every stroke matters.

Don't overload individual areas

If you make a mistake, simply peel the paint down to the canvas and start again. This will help you maintain the fresh, economical finish of your alla prima work.

Three samples

If you run out of inspiration, you can consider the works of some masters. Explore easy, colorful portraits Dutch artist Frans Hals, as well as the paintings of the great impressionist Edouard Manet, who used the alla prima technique to capture fleeting phenomena in the here and now, such as clouds or sunsets. Finally, discover Tom Thompson, Canadian landscape painter beginning of the 20th century. It's less famous artist, author of vibrant miniature oil sketches.

Watercolor is a very popular and relevant painting technique today. Sometimes it seems that absolutely everyone works with watercolors and, it’s worth noting that everyone works differently! There are many well-known techniques for working with watercolors, and new effects and techniques are constantly emerging. Often, novice authors try to work with all possible techniques at once, apply various effects, experiment in the vastness of watercolor painting and, as a rule, sooner or later find their combination, which subsequently often develops into their unique author’s style. I think the main advantage of watercolor is its versatility... I like to work in new genres and hone my skills in old ones. I always want to be able to choose a painting technique for a specific task, because I find it boring and wrong to approach a portrait or landscape in the same way and paint them in the same watercolor technique. Today I will talk about five different ways to work with watercolors using the example of a botanical illustration of the fly agaric mushroom. I'll try to draw five identical motifs, five different ways watercolor painting: 1. Watercolor technique “Glaze” 2. Watercolor technique “A la prima” 3. Watercolor technique - use of masking fluid 4. Combination of several watercolor techniques 5. Technique “Wet watercolor” or “Watercolor wet”

Watercolor technique “Glassing”

The first fly agaric I painted was made using the “Glaze” watercolor technique (from the German Lasierung - glaze). This technique is very suitable for beginners. She often works in art schools. It consists of layer-by-layer application of paint to the drawing. From the lightest shades to the darkest. Each layer must have time to dry. Working in this watercolor technique, we build up the tonality of the subject gradually, and always have the opportunity to adjust the color at each stage.

Watercolor technique “A la prima”

The second mushroom is drawn using the “A la prima” technique (or “Alla prima”, from Italian a la prima - “in one sitting”). This is a more expressive technique, and is very suitable for those who know how to knead Beautiful colors the first time. A drawing using this technique is done quickly in one layer, in one session, without further additions or alterations. We immediately receive the finished drawing. Here you need to be careful so that when mixing a lot of watercolor colors, you do not get muddy, and the colors are bright and clean. Watercolors made using this technique are usually very colorful! This watercolor technique is quite quick to execute and is loved by those who do not like to work for a long time.

Watercolor technique - using masking fluid

I painted the third mushroom using a reserve (masking) liquid. In order not to bypass the white spots on the mushroom cap, I “hid them with a reserve”, that is, I first applied a reserve liquid to the spots of the spots (on a dry sheet, before starting to work with paints). Of course, this cannot be called a watercolor technique, it is more of an effect. Today, all kinds of reserves (masking liquids) have become very widespread. If you don’t want to paint over every spot or are afraid that in an emotional outburst you will paint over some highlights, then you can use a reserve.

Working with a reserve goes much faster. But it is worth noting that this technique also has disadvantages. The main disadvantage is that the edge is very sharp. Your work will always have a sharp border in the place where the white sheet on which the reserve liquid was placed meets the area painted over with paint. This will give you away. This doesn’t bother many artists, and sometimes it even helps create additional effects! Also, the reserve is sometimes difficult to remove from paper, and sometimes it is not removed at all. Therefore, before using the reserve in your work, test it on a small sheet of similar paper.

A combination of several watercolor techniques

The fourth mushroom is drawn with a combination of effects (watercolor technique). Before starting to work in color, I “hid” the entire mushroom with a reserve liquid. This allowed me to create a dense multi-layered background with paint. I applied the paint in 4 layers. Only by layer-by-layer glazing is it possible to achieve a sufficiently dense, dull, but at the same time not black background. After waiting for the background to dry, I removed the reserve and painted the mushroom using the same “Glaze” watercolor technique.

“Wet watercolor” or “Wet watercolor” technique

With the fifth mushroom I worked with the most “watercolor” technique of all. Looking at it, it is immediately clear that we are looking at watercolors. This is a “Wet Watercolor” technique (often called “Wet Watercolor”, “Wet Watercolor”), and it is certainly impressive. In my opinion, this is the most difficult aspect of watercolor painting. The artist’s skills and exclusively personal experience are very important here. The “Wet Watercolor” technique is that before you start painting, a sheet of paper is completely moistened with water, and then you quickly write on the still wet surface. By spreading, watercolor paint can convey soft transitions from one color to another. If you need to draw small parts, then you need to wait until it dries completely, and only then make additions.

Wet watercolor is especially sensitive to the quality of the materials used. Paper, paints, brushes - everything is important here. In this watercolor technique you have to work quickly and confidently. The artist must be extremely concentrated and ready for anything. We must give the watercolor some freedom, but at the same time create conditions in which it will flow exactly as we need it. And the watercolor should dry when we need it. In this watercolor technique, the most common mistakes are a poorly wetted sheet and a lack of understanding of the depicted form. And most importantly, wet watercolor is beautiful in its lightness and ease. But we are often afraid to “let go” of the paint, we try too hard to control it, we try too hard, thereby losing that very lightness and ease. This technique requires constant practice, and if you want to work in wet watercolor, I advise you to practice it more often.

Conclusion

In this article I described the main effects and watercolor techniques that I work with. Of course, this list can be continued for a long time, and I am sure that there will always be something that I have not tried yet, which will inspire me to new works and experiments. Wish you creative success and inspiration!