H&H2: Peinture L'essence

For my Heads and Hands 2 class this week, I had to paint a portrait from a photo provided of an art model. (You might recognize this woman from past assignments). I learned a new technique of painting with oil paints on cardboard, called "peinture l'essence." This technique was created by one of my favorite painters of all time, Edgar Degas, to mimic the look of dry pastels using oil paints, and was often used by the great Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, as well.

I had never been a huge fan of oil painting before, but I absolutely LOVE this new technique! Thanks, Degas!

Lesson Learned: Oil paints dry quickly if you paint on cardboard! I used a piece of cardboard as a palette and thinned the paint with turpenoid before painting on the board. The pigment dried instantly, making it possible to layer the paint without it getting muddy. It was like using dry pastels, but easier because I could apply it with a brush! I was never patient enough to enjoy oil painting, but now I don't have to be patient anymore! Yay!