Visual analysis paper - Essay Example

These religious undertone of the painting was typical of many paintings during the period. It is important to note that the Renaissance period was the time when the strict rules of the visual arts were established. It is the time where academic painting was established where later painters would subscribe until today. During this period, arts flourished as well as science. As earlier mentioned, it was in this period where the strict rules of academic drawing and painting was established where artworks followed a strict method or rules.

Unlike the impressionists who did a “freer” stroke of brush where details are not emphasized but rather the use of light to emphasize figures, renaissance paintings particularly Flemish paintings followed strict rules, probably the strictest, rigorous and laborious rules. In this method, the canvass (or any other medium such as wood) are not merely stained by paints but rather the colors are build. It typically begins with a drawing where the rule of analytic line is followed. Analytic lines are lines that considers geometrical patterns and proportions in relation to other parts of the subject.

Then it is transferred to the canvass (or other medium) by several underpaintings. Generally, a brown layer washes the canvass and lays out the figure or subject then subsequent underpaintings are painted over it. Here, the values, light and shadows are emphasized that would later give depth to the color of the final work. The first layer is usually called “imprimatura” or the first layer where subsequent layers are glazed or painted over it to provide the final body of the painting. Depending on the preference of the artists, the final underpainting can either be in grisalle or verdaccio.

Grisalle is a greenish gray which is usually used as an underpainting for flesh