My painting style

April 15, 2024

I like to think of myself as a follower of the “direct painting” method. This term is used to describe a loose, expressive, style of painting. Artists such as Sargent, Sorolla and Monet are well known practitioners of this method. 

The term “All Prima” is also used to describe this style. 

It's really a very fun way to paint. You lay big brushstrokes down, looking for large shapes. I like to think of a painting as a puzzle. Each brushstroke is a piece of that puzzle, which locks into another puzzle piece, and so on until the whole canvas is covered. Then, depending on how polished I want the painting to look, I'll go in with a soft brush and blend those pieces together. 

There are always adjustments to be made, and I’ll do that by going over with smaller detail brushes, adjusting shapes and details till I’m satisfied. The reason for the term “direct” painting, is because you generally paint the whole thing in one layer of paint, in a short period of time.

This is in contrast to other methods, which rely on many layers of paint, built up step by step. The advantage to this is that you can create a highly realistic, polished, painting. Many famous artists such as Rembrandt, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo De Vinci painted in this manner.

I love the “direct” or “Alla Prima" method because it allows me to paint quickly and expressively. 

Dominic Keim