by Olga Harhaj
My contribution is about the style of painting called Chiaroscuro, which I have used on a few of my paintings. This is an Italian term which literally means ‘light-dark’. Artists who are famed for the use of chiaroscuro include Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio as well as Johannes Vermeer.
I used this technique in a few of my paintings over the years especially in portraits. Here are a few examples of this technique.
I am a big fan of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes and two recent actors who portrayed him, Jeremy Brett (BBC Granada series from the 80’s & 90’s) and Benedict Cumberbatch from “Sherlock” fame. I decided to paint each in the “chiaroscuro” style from still pictures I found from their shows, using the strong contrasts between light and dark. Both these paintings hang in our home.
Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with the Pearl Earring” was also a great practice piece for me. I decided to paint my own version which I call “Ukrainian Girl with the Gold earring”. This one is also in my possession.
And lastly, a commission I was given to paint last year of a local resident’s daughter which I titled “Girl in Sepia”.
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These are all quite lovely, Olga. The light and dark does make for some dramatic focal points and a way of directing the viewer to what you want them to see.
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Thanks Lynne!
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How beautiful! Thanks for sharing this process and the amazing work of beloved painters. Congratulations on your own by the way.
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Thank you Laura!
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WOW! Those are all so incredibly beautiful Olga!
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Thank you Susan! I really enjoyed painting these.
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I heard about this beautiful commission from its owners. It is stunning! Thank you for sharing it with us. I really enjoyed learning about the Chiaroscuro style. It was a great mini lesson in art history. It is also something that I can look at identifying in other artists’ work. It adds a lot of mood to your subject. I imagine that an artist could apply this style to still life paintings. What about landscape art?
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I heard all about this beautiful commission from its owners. It is stunning. Thank you for sharing it with us. I really enjoyed learning about the Chiaroscuro style. It was a great mini lesson in art history. I like the mood that it conveys in your work. Now, I can try to identify it in other artists’ creations. I imagine that you could easily apply this style to still life paintings. What about landscape art?
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Thanks Michelle! Yes you can apply it to some landscapes and still life as well as in photography. I just love the impact it has in portraiture.
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