Advance Painting
Assignment 3
Expressionism and Abstraction/simplification with Dry Brush
The dry-brush consists of painting with undiluted paint in such a way that dragging the brush over the surface reveals
the color underneath. The dry-brush produces a broken brush mark. This brushstroke should be applied over a dry
background color. Applying relatively dry brush lightly over a surface, creating an area of broken color — the new
color having attached to the high spots but not to the low, so that traces of the paper or under color remain exposed
When paint is sparsely applied with an almost-dry brush, you get a textured broken color effect that can be used to
depict blur or subtle color transitions.
Broken color- Sometimes a painter doesn't want perfect coverage and smoothly-blended transitions. Instead, painters
often use layers of color, and break up the upper layers to reveal some of the colors underneath. This is called broken
color. Broken color is achieved many different ways, but the effect is of a lacey coat of paint with lots of openings in it.
Image 1: Create 4 simple examples of the overlapping techniques of dry brush and with four different colors as under
colors. The under color should be solid and the overlapping color should be dry brush. Use watercolor paper and mount
in you sketch book. Examples of under color can be: monochromatic color, complementary color, analogous color,
earthy or grayed color etc.
Things to think about:
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How many objects will you include in your painting?
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Consider the negative space around the objects (flat under color, painterly color, texture, interesting shapes)
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How close or how far will the objects be to the edge of the painting?
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How will you use, horizontal, vertical and diagonal directional lines, edges and or shapes?
For example:
Image 2: Create a painting by abstracting/distorting an object or objects. You will be painting in an expressionistic
manner. In this painting you will be incorporating: dry brush, exaggerated color or non- realistic color, dynamic shapes
and composition.
Abstract or distorted shapes: A shape that is stylized or a simplified version of natural shapes.
Expressionism is an artistic style which began during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Early expressionism was
opposed to the academic standards that prevailed in Western Europe at that time. The expressionist used distortion and
exaggeration for emotional effect, the artist accomplishes this aim through abstraction, simplification, primitivism, and
fantasy. The artist used vivid, jarring, violent, or dynamic application of formal elements (line, color, shape,
texture). The artist attempted to depict not objective reality but rather the subjective emotions and
responses that objects and events arouse in the artist. Landmarks of this movement were started by Vincent
Van Gogh and continued by the Fauvist, German expressionists and abstract expressionist.
Dry brush process:
Note under color
Dry brush on top
Materials: acrylic paint, 16” x 20” primed masonite board, brushes
For your sketch book:
a. Create two pencil studies before you start painting.
Is it essential to plan a painting in thorough detail before you start, or should you let it develop as you go
along? Planning a painting can be a help as you know exactly what you're going to do, but it could also
inhibit spontaneity. Letting a painting evolve as you work is very free and lets you be spontaneous, but also
leaves you open to the possibility that the painting won't go anywhere and you'll end up with a mess.
Ultimately the degree to which you plan out a painting depends on your personality; some people find it
essential and others a hindrance. But regardless of how detailed you like to plan (or not), there are several
decisions that have to be made before you to start to paint.
b. Take a 4” x 6” digital image of the final painting and place (glue) into the sketch book. Make sure your
digital image is in focus, squared off and color and value are comparable to original painting.
c. Describe your painting in a typed paragraph and place (glue) into your sketch book. You will make
observations about what you see. You must be objective. For this part please make no inferences or express
opinions. You are going to create a list of what you see. List only the facts about the artwork and write a
paragraph base on this list:
Subject matter: abstracted or simplifies objects
Medium: acrylic,
Style: impressionism, hard edge, pop art, expressionistic, photo-realism, pointillism,
Technique: opaque, transparent, painterly, flat, combination, etc.
d. Analyze your painting in a typed paragraph and place (glue) into your sketch book. How do you
compose or design (organize) your painting? This is where your knowledge of the elements of design and
the principles of design play an important role. The combinations of these, elements and principles help the
artist create the mood of the work or express a particular point of view or message. Base this paragraph on
this list:
Design elements: line, shape, value, color, size, direction, texture, focal point
Design Principles: repetition and rhythm, dominance and subordination, unity and variety, contrast,
balance, emphasis, scale and proportion
Student examples: