What are the key points of oil painting? Some people think it is sketching, some think it is composition, some people think it is the use of light, shadow and color, etc. I think there is some truth to all of this, but it is basically an analysis from the perspective of oil painting creation techniques. After reading about the growth experiences of some oil painting masters, such as Raphael, Rubens, Bouguereau, etc., I thought that the key to oil painting lies in copying. This is particularly prominent in the Baroque oil painting master Rubens.
Rubens was one of the most important painters of the seventeenth century after the European Renaissance. He showed great talent for painting when he was young. His father died young and his mother sent him to the church to learn painting when he was 12 years old. Due to diligence and talent, Rubens' painting skills improved rapidly. By the time he was in his early 20s, Rubens's painting skills had surpassed all the teachers who taught him. He became the chief painter of all local churches and was appointed as an official painter by the Holy See. This was a very rare honor among painters at that time, and Rubens was so young, so he had a bright artistic path and a bright future.
But Rubens was not satisfied with these achievements. He clearly realized that he only had skilled painting skills and was still far from the requirements of a painting master. He had not even formed his own painting skills. painting style. Therefore, Rubens gave up his generous treatment and began his six-year study tour in Italy. In Italy, Rubens followed the footsteps of the predecessors of the Renaissance, from Florence to Venice, from Milan, Turin to Rome, and met Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. I copied the original works of such masters as Carlo Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, and Tintonetto one by one. While copying, I felt, thought, and explored, from which I understood the true meaning of art and found a breakthrough for my own artistic creation.
In particular, the vigorous and vigorous style of Michelangelo's paintings and the dignified atmosphere of Titian's paintings brought great inspiration to Rubens. After repeated copying and painstaking grinding, Rubens gradually formed his own artistic concept. He boldly innovated and applied the style characteristics of Baroque architectural art to his oil painting creations, making his works lively, colorful, majestic and dynamic, becoming An important representative of the unique Baroque oil painting art.
Rubens’ experience illustrates the critical role of copying in the learning and growth of oil painting. Of course, copying is very particular. Copying is not mechanical copying, not copying according to the text, not comparing gourds and gourds, copying is copying with thoughts and thinking, copying, comprehending, improving one's painting skills and exploring the direction of one's own painting style. Raphael copied the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and other masters who were older than him many times, and formed his own soft and harmonious style through perceptual exploration, becoming the founder of classical aesthetic oil painting.
Moreover, for copying, it is best to choose some classic works of oil painting masters, learn from them, gain insights and improve, and establish a better example and a higher starting point from the beginning. This is the same as learning the pronunciation in calligraphy.