Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Great book: Velazquez: the Technique of Genius



By Jonathan Brown and Carmen Garrido

This book is a scientific look at the painting technique of one of history's greatest painters. The text is written in accessible language and is illustrated with color pictures. 15 of the masters works are investigated. The resulting narrative includes information as to what support was used, how it was prepared, and the pigments and carriers used in his paint.

I was fascinated to learn that he mixed ground calcium carbonate into his paints to increase optical luminosity. I have read that Rembrandt added ground glass into his paints to achieve a similar result. I had a teacher in art school who used the glass beads that make highway signs reflective in his paint. This is something I want to experiment with.

I will post further research soon.