Painting as a Form of Creative Expression

Art is a profession like any other: it requires time, dedication and effort, and while skill is necessary it ' s not enough to guarantee success. The same applies to painting, one of the most popular forms of artistic expression across the five continents. Common painting themes include landscapes, people and the events of daily life. 

If you have the basic supplies it's time to get started. Your palette should be made of dark wood and wiped with linseed oil each time you begin to paint. When you finish it must be washed with turpentine and scraped with a razor. Prime your canvas a few extra times before starting and don't forget to smooth it down with fine sandpaper. Careful preparation is required in order to create an excellent painting.

One of the things people often overlook is the need for a comfortable, well-lit studio. Neither a garage nor a room with dim lighting will do because anything less than bright lighting won't allow the painter to perceive the different color tones adequately.

Continuing with our painter series, today's famous painter is Jean-Antoine Watteau (France, 1684-1721). Watteau was one of the most famous French Rococo artists and was born in Valenciennes just six years after the city had been wrenched from the grasp of the Spanish Netherlands. His work was greatly influenced by artists such as Chardin, Boucher, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Picasso. Some of his most important paintings include Gilles and his Family (1716), Pilgrimage to Cythera (1717), The Delicate Musician (1717), Embarkation for Cythera (1717-1719), Mezzetin (1717-1719) and L' Enseigne de Gersaint (1720).  

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