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How to Oil Paint in One Sitting
I love saying the phrase “alla prima” but it’s way harder to actually paint that way! Direct or alla prima painting is all about how to oil paint in the moment, in one go. Easy and freeing, right?
But I’m a planner by nature! If I didn’t overthink, I don’t know what I’d think about. So I’ve turned my need to deliberate into an asset. I’ve come up with four strategies for how to oil paint, alla prima-style, that will hopefully lead to me getting a satisfying painting on the first take.
Time it
I’m not one to hurry needlessly. But, when I give myself a time limit, it forces me to loosen up and just concentrate on going, going, going. It is sort of like being on autopilot, and surprisingly enough that helps me.
What’s the tradeoff? I have to make whatever happens work for me. However, the plus is that I feel like my oil painting instincts are stronger for it.
A Dollar for Every Stroke
For this one to work, you have to act like a cheapskate when it comes to putting brushstrokes on the canvas. Commit to the idea that every brushstroke — artful or sloppy — is going to cost you, so it had better say something.
If I think that I’m forking over a dollar for each touch of the brush, it raises my awareness of what I’m doing every step of the way.
Layering for Drama
The ‘wow’ moments of an alla prima painting are left until last. I often forget layers are key, and I end up overblending without simply stepping away and sort of rebuilding the form in my head to see how the shapes are built with successive layers.
This is like when you are painting flowers, specifically roses. You can’t paint every individual petal; so I remember to layer big shapes for the visual effect of the unfurled flower. I also know to start loose and general, and then bring in the drama with brushwork that is all about texture or exciting hints of color at the end.
I Will Not Pull Over
Mistakes? Wipe them out — or paint them over. But don’t stop! Stopping means thinking, reassessing and, perhaps, making a muddle of the freeness that I have on canvas. I don’t put the brush down until I’m done.
I’m still intimidated by alla prima, but invigorated by the challenge it presents, too. And what is great is that you can apply the concepts of alla prima to any medium and any subject matter.
To start your alla prima painting foray, consider How to Paint Flowers in Oil. This video workshop — preview trailer below — shows you an accessible way to work in alla prima for your first time, and with a gorgeous subject to boot.
You discover how to oil paint with immediacy and keen observation, just like the best alla prima painters. It’s an exciting prospect, right? Enjoy!
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Oops, sorry for the double post.
Al Bury’s book Alla Prima is one of my library treasures. It’s the way I want to paint in my next life!
Al Bury’s book Alla Prima is one of my library treasures. It’s the way I want to paint in my next life!