I believe that in the history of art, there have been very few who have successfully varied the edges in their paintings in the way John Sargent did.
The Art of Texture and Surface
Sargent had an uncanny knack for identifying the texture or surface texture of an object. In fact, many people think that this is all he does, but the truth is that there's much more to his variation of edges than anyone really realizes.
There's actually a plan often at play when you see his thin, transparent areas next to thicker ones. He'll have thick areas that are very indicative of Rembrandt and the French Academy in the 19th century, where shadows stayed transparent. Given that Sargent was trained with this message, it wouldn't surprise me if that's the only way he knew how to approach his work.
The Power of Contrast
However, when you actually look at those passages, you see the greatest way to contrast thick paint and make something come forward is by having thin areas next to them. This creates tremendous amounts of contrast in both value and texture, as well as three-dimensional realism.
What's often overlooked is that this means planning ahead to ensure certain areas are contrasted with thick, opaque, typically white paint. This not only creates high contrast in value but also adds depth and dimensionality to the painting through the interplay between thick and thin paint.
Beyond Edges
Upon closer inspection of Sargent's work, you can see brushstrokes that convey psychological messages about power or position in life. You also notice these marks in his charcoal drawings, where strong contrasts are used to represent areas where he would apply thick paint in actual oil paintings.
Other times, Sargent makes a mark that identifies the unique likeness of a texture, whether it's metal, hair, or some other surface. This requires the viewer to pause and look closer at each mark, asking themselves why this particular mark stands out from others made by the artist.
Techniques for Creating Contrast and Depth
One way to achieve this is by using glaze with a sable brush to create hard, sharp lines. Another technique is scumbling, which involves dragging a brush slowly over the top of the painting to soften marks. Mary Thrush's techniques for cross-hatching with round sables are highly effective, and I've found that combining these methods with other brushstrokes can produce truly remarkable results.
Comments