Adapting the Flemish 7-Step Painting Style: My Modern Approach
The Flemish 7-step painting style, with its meticulous layering process, has inspired countless artists, including myself. While I deeply respect the traditional methods developed by Flemish masters, I have adapted this technique to suit my contemporary workflow and artistic goals. Here's how I integrate and modify the traditional steps to fit my practice:
Drawing (Underpainting): I start with a detailed pencil drawing on a primed canvas. This drawing forms the foundation of my composition, capturing the essential elements and layout.
Imprimatura: Unlike the traditional method of using an oil-based imprimatura, I apply a wash of burnt umber acrylic paint. This choice is strategic: the fast-drying nature of acrylics locks in the pencil drawing, preventing smearing and ensuring that the initial sketch remains intact through the subsequent layers. This acrylic wash also sets a warm undertone, which will influence the final hues of the painting.
Dead Layer (Grisaille): Here, I deviate from the traditional approach by completing a highly detailed grisaille using titanium white and ivory black oil paints. This grey-scale underpainting allows me to meticulously define the values and forms. By focusing on the interplay of light and shadow at this stage, I establish a strong structural foundation for the colors to come. This detailed grisaille helps in achieving depth and dimension, ensuring that the final painting has a solid, realistic base.
First Color Layer (Glazing): I apply thin, transparent glazes of color over the grisaille. These glazes are built up gradually, allowing the detailed underpainting to shine through, creating a rich, luminous effect. The glazes enhance the depth and provide a vibrant base for further details.
Second Color Layer: Additional layers of color are applied to refine the forms and intensify the vibrancy of the painting. I focus on enhancing textures and adjusting the values to achieve a balanced composition.
Details and Highlights: In this step, I add fine details and highlights using small brushes. The aim is to bring out the intricate textures and subtle nuances in the painting, such as facial features, fabric folds, and reflective surfaces.
Final Glazes and Adjustments: The painting is finished with final glazes to unify the overall composition. These glazes help to adjust the color balance, deepen shadows, and enhance luminosity. I make any necessary final adjustments to details and highlights, ensuring that the painting meets my artistic vision.
By incorporating modern materials and techniques, I maintain the spirit of the Flemish 7-step painting style while making it relevant to my current practice. This blend of traditional and contemporary methods allows me to create works that are richly detailed, vibrant, and infused with a sense of depth and realism.
In the following weeks I will begin breaking down my process with more details and photos of my painting Sister of Mercy that shows how I began developing my approach to this style. Stay tuned for more!
While you wait, watch one of my videos on Youtube that shows me painting. :)
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