Impasto Realism Oil Paintings

     Impasto is a technique used in painting, where paint is laid thickly on an area of the canvas, usually thick enough that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible. Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas. When dry, impasto provides texture; the paint appears to be coming out of the canvas. The impasto technique serves several purposes.

 

First, it makes the light reflect in a particular way, giving the artist additional control over the play of light in the painting.

 

Second, it can add expressiveness to the painting, with the viewer being able to notice the strength and speed by which the artist applied the paint. Third, impasto can push a piece from a painting to a three-dimensional sculptural rendering.