DAY 281

ART 101

Alla Prima Painting

MINIMAL PLANNING, MAXIMUM RESULTS

When oil first came onto the art scene, the process of painting involved several carefully planned sessions. As you’ve learned, artists began with an underpainting (page 258) and built up glazes of paint, letting the layers set and partially dry before applying the next. This was traditionally the only way to use oil paints until the beginning of the 17^th century, when a few artists branched off and took the medium in a new and fresh direction. Translated from Italian to mean “at once” or “at the first,” alla prima refers to the act of finishing a work of art in one or just a few sittings, all while the paint is still wet—no extensive groundwork, and no coming back day after day to refine details.

Also aptly called “direct painting,” alla prima became the preferred approach in the middle of the 19^th century. The Impressionists were drawn to the spontaneity and painterly qualities produced by this method. Brushstrokes became bold, loose, feathery, and suggestive; accuracy of shape and form became less important than accuracy of atmosphere.

In today’s fine-art world, both approaches to oil painting are in use. Which one suits your personality and style—the original method of careful planning in layers, or alla prima? —ETG