Impressionism

How to Paint Impressionism
By Wilkie Collins, eHow Contributor



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Renoir made paintings that captured nature in full flow.
Impressionism is a style of painting thatflourished in Paris, France during the late 18th century. The movement rebelled against Romantic style paintings, which typically depicted scenes of exotic subjects which most people would never see intheir lifetime. The Impressionist painters, including Cezanne, Renoir and Picasso, favored everyday scenes and the immediate impressions they made on the artist.
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Things You'll Need
Easel
Canvas
Paints
Instructions
1.
1
Find an area of natural beauty such as a lake, river, flower garden,field or forest. Most Impressionist paintings were drawn outdoors. In addition to the myriad of colors changes caused by a setting or rising sun, painting outdoors freed Impressionist paintings fromthe confines of the studio.
2
Consider the time of day at which you want to start painting. Study areas to see how they appear in different lights, such as during sunrise or sunset or just beforestormy weather. Impressionist painters were interested in how light and shadow could imbue seemingly normal scenes with vivid life.

3
Think about movement before painting and how to capture theeffect of movement when painting. Impressionist artists often did this by making vivid, swirling motions to create a sense of nature alive and in flux.
4
Make sure the scenes you choose are not outof the ordinary, such as a grand castle or a well-kept ornamental garden. Impressionists were more interested in ordinary everyday scenes which took on renewed life at specific times of day.
5
Setup your easel, ensuring that it's securely positioned on the ground. Bring a chair, canvas and a selection of paints.
6
Paint the scene as you see it, without putting too much time or effort into...