The Surprising Secret to Creating Masterpieces Like the Old Masters!
September 15, 2024
Source: Reddit
Can you recall the joy of receiving a brand new pack of crayons with all the colors divided in order and waiting to be use? It was exciting, there was something almost magical about it; the fact that all you had to do was to use your imagination and you could write anything you wanted on the paper. For most of us, that was the first time we encountered art, and it brings up images of innocent childhood. Now let us try to picture a scenario even before the paint was available in the market; when artists had to prepare their colors.
The other day I was at a historical reenactment and I found a pigment mixing kit and it was like being back in the childhood, only different. The colors I had been accustomed to buying in the store were replaced by vials of fine powder in green, red, gold, blue and white, a small scoop, shells and pieces of paper with writing on them. It was not only about art but to experience the life of artists from past centuries and how they worked. This was not just a craft kit, it was a peek into history, a look into how things were done when even the color was obtained from natural sources.
Before the art stores were filled with tubes of paint artists would have to prepare their own pigments using various substances from the natural environment. The green colour might have been created from ground malachite whilst red was obtained from cinnabar or ochre. Such powders were kept in small containers such as shells so as to easily have access to them. When it was time to paint, the artist would then take some pigment, add a binder such as gum arabic and there was the paint.
For centuries this was a tradition that bound the artists to the ground and the substances which they used. It was not only the painting but the whole process which included the search for materials, the preparation, the mixing and finally the application of the materials to the canvas or parchment. The materials were costly and hence the artists used to pay a lot of attention in selecting them.
This kit at the reenactment, even though is small, gives you that ancient art to hold in your hands. The vials of powder and the simple scooper are more than just tools; it is an invitation to create art as it was made in the past, as opposed to buying colors.
During the 1400s and the 1500s, artists and scribes were a highly valued professionals and the most of their work was in the illuminated manuscripts. It is paved with beautifully carved stones, magnificent sculptures, written works on scrolls and books which are often covered with gold leaf and bright colors. It was not easy to design these masterpieces. Every colour had to be prepared manually and artists protected their recipes for the pigments like they were treasures.
Think of a scribe or an artist working in a poorly lit room, stirring red ochre in water or egg to make a colourful painting of a saint or a king on a page. This was art that was married to skill; a relationship between the artist and his tools. Every stroke painted a message and every color used was relevant.
That is why with the help of such kits like this one, we can at least try to get involved into this tradition and feel how valuable this form of art is as an element of culture. It is rather inspiring to think that several centuries ago those tools were at the core of masterpieces which have been enduring for ages.
Thus, using this kit is not only about invoking some memories – it is a way to interact with the history. That is really interesting because you get to feel what it is to be an artist in the ancient days, to be able to carve out something using raw materials. It is a physical connection to the fact that art was once an extension of nature, where colours were derived from minerals and shells were used as palette.
What I find fascinating about this process is that it isn’t complicated at all. You don’t need expensive gear or ready-made material in order to create something beautiful and meaningful. All that is needed are some simple tools and powdered pigments and you will end up with something nice. The shells for mixing give the experience a natural and organic touch as the seashells are used. Besides being a container, it is a small element that enriches the process of creating paint.
In a world where we can have anything delivered with just a few simple clicks this kit brings back the fun of making things ourselves. It is quite an interactive approach to art, which will be fun regardless of whether you are an experienced painter or a complete beginner. But unlike the chaos of the contemporary world there is a kind of serenity in this – picking some color, mixing it with water in a shell and painting on paper.
Therefore, the next time you want to try out something new, why not go back in time? Go for a shell, collect some colour and paint as the early civilization did. It is an amazing feeling when you know that the colors that are scrolling on your screen are painted by you, with the same passion and dedication that artists used while painting their master pieces in the past.
Just as the box of crayons has so many different colors and so many ways of drawing, this kit also has so many different ways that one can create these colors and the process has become half the fun.