Broadening the Brush
Further developing Impressionist technique on MS Paint
Continuing from my thoughts from last time, I decided to evolve my use of the pencil tool in MS Paint once more, this time going from two pixels in width to four pixels. The reasons for this shift were fairly simple. I noticed that what was lacking in several of my works was the a lack of bold strokes, that really emphasize the colors and the lighting in Impressionism. Widening the tool was thus an attempt to achieve a better effect.
I first did this a few months ago, doing something might more fairly be noted as Post-Impressionist. Seen above, The Binarry Sunset was an experiment, utilizing Star Wars as subject matter. In addition to the broader strokes, I created another technique: that of starting with a solid color, over which I painted. This is to imitate the appearance of canvas that has been prepared with a layer of paint, something the Impressionists of history are known to do.
With the previous work being a landscape, a portrait also became a good time to test these techniques even more so. Alyssa, showing a fictional barista, utilized these same new methods. With the other aesthetic elements sticking to Impressionist discipline, we see what I feel is a better manifestation of the bold brushstrokes of real paint that defines the genre.
Continuing to work on these techniques, my most recent work, At Eight, has been a huge success. When I shared it on r/Art, it became my most upvoted post of all time, breaking 5800. For some reason, the nighttime parking lot was a very relatable subject. Many noted how they felt the lighting and the colors worked out very well, implying that emphasizing them with broader strokes of the pencil tool is having its intended effect. I myself am very pleased with this work, and I regard it as one of better pieces, since The Steps at Winnipeg.
I think I am on the right track with these broader strokes. The appearance that characterized most of my works over the last year may not be utilized again by me any time soon. The real challenge, I find, is picking the right subject matter. Perhaps that should be the focus of my next article.
