Maggie Parr

Classical Style Oil Paintings

The grisaille layers, rendered in greys to establish values.

Rendering Disney characters in classic artworks gave me an opportunity to study the techniques of the masters - and learn a LOT about what's called "indirect painting." Established during the Middle Ages, it starts with a grisaille layer, rendered in greys to establish values, then builds in transparent glazes of color. To me, it makes the most of oil paint, which is a translucent medium. Using only black and white, the grisaille layer establishes value and form, as well as a base of paint on the canvas.

Color

This is where the fun starts! In these next few layers, it's all about laying down fields of color. I don't have to worry too much about detail yet, just raw, bright pigment. I can put on the TV and color away. I apply more paint in the lighter areas, less in the shadows.

If I'm working in red, I use cadmiums, which are brighter and more opaque. If it's blue, I'll usually start with cobalt (warmer) or cerulean (cooler). It's important to keep tthe paints "lean" (less oily) in keeping with a crucial rule of oil painting: "fat over lean." You can't have top layers drying faster than lower layers or the surface will crack. I also stick with the principle of using cool hues in the light areas, and warm in the shadows.

Translucent glazes darken and enrich the piece.

Glazes

Once the layers are nicely built up, I switch to glazes of translucent paint. I develop details, unite colors, and make any other adjustments as I go along. This is where the magic of oil paint comes alive. Since it's a transparent medium, light refracts through the layers down to the white of the canvas, giving it the appearance of being illuminated from within. When I put a glaze of alizarin crimson on brighter cadmium red, it glows like a beautiful jewel.

The final layers.

Finishing

Finally, after about 8-12 layers, the piece is done! Now it takes a few weeks or even months to dry, depending on how much paint I used. I'm a big fan of the Gamblin mediums, which dry much faster. Then I coat it with their final picture varnish - which brings all the color out and makes it shine.

This particular painting was done for a private client, featuring Mrs. Beakley in the 1819 portrait of Carlota Joachina by Vicente Lopez Portana. It's irreverent and reverent all at once - making an ironic statement while (ironically) satisfying the Disney fan who commissioned it.