Alla Prima Explained: The Direct Wet‑on‑Wet Painting Technique
9 Oct 2025Learn what the alla prima technique is, its history, essential tools, step‑by‑step workflow, pros, cons, and tips for mastering wet‑on‑wet painting.
Continue reading...Painting Technique: Guides, Tips & Tricks for Artists
When working with painting technique, the method an artist uses to apply pigment to a surface. Also known as artistic method, it shapes everything from oil painting, a slow‑drying medium that lets you blend on the canvas to watercolor, a transparent wash that relies on paper absorbency and even portrait painting, focused on capturing a subject’s likeness. These approaches share core ideas but differ in tools, drying time, and surface preparation.
How Painting Technique Connects to Other Skills
A solid painting technique encompasses multiple sub‑skills. For example, painting technique encompasses oil painting, which in turn requires proper brush selection and layered glazing. Watercolor technique influences color mixing because the medium’s transparency forces you to think about lightness before darkness. Portrait painting demands an understanding of anatomy and how subtle shifts in tone convey emotion. These semantic triples illustrate that mastering one method often improves another. Artists also need to understand color theory, surface preparation, and drying times – each of these attributes shapes the final result. Knowing when to scrape a tacky oil layer, how to lift a watercolor wash, or how to block in a portrait shape can prevent costly mistakes later. The relationships are clear: effective painting technique requires the right tools, the right medium knowledge, and the right planning.
Below you’ll find a curated collection of articles that dive into the specifics you’ve just read about. From fixing wet‑oil errors to choosing the perfect palette for a landscape, each post gives actionable steps and real‑world examples. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to tighten up a seasoned practice, the range of topics will help you apply the right technique at the right moment. Keep reading to see practical tips, troubleshooting guides, and inspiring ideas that turn theory into paint on the canvas.
