I still go to blogs of different artists and take a closer look at the gouache that people work with. (I also have my own, but you have to see what people are doing.) I realized that for me personally, watercolor is not well suited for plein air. I need something with more coverage and faster drying. And at the same time less capricious. Therefore, gouache now seems to be a more optimal option for plein air work, when the light and weather conditions change very quickly and there are really no amenities.

I’m not ready for oil yet; I need to carry too many heavy things with me, including canvases or boards for work, as well as a special box for sketches so that they don’t smear during transportation. And now, when equipped to work with watercolors, pastels and colored pencils, my shoulders just come off. So much so that after the last few trips last month I am living with Voltaren. This is not some kind of guy, if anything. This is an ointment for muscle and joint pain.

My favorite plein air artists right now are James Gurney and Nathan Fowkes. It turned out that both of them are illustrators, like myself, who go plein air or draw from life for inspiration and to pump up their artistic muscles. I didn’t specifically choose them based on this principle - it just happened that way. James is famous for his “Dinotopia” (by the way, his book on drawing in Russian “Color and Light” was recently published, in English here: Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter (James Gurney Art)), and Nathan is an artist animator (you can learn from him at www.schoolism.com). And I really like the recklessness and speed with which both of these comrades work in the open air with gouache, that even the tips of their fingers prick - I want to rush and sculpt with gouache or casein myself.

Works by James Gurney from here

Works by Nathan Fawkes from here

These are my heroes now, basically. I would like to move in my works from life from detailed piping to a freer stroke. But not because I stopped loving to languish over the details - this will not happen, I adore them. But because I would like to see, after the plein air, finished or almost finished works that could be used for more serious paintings. Because now, while I’m finalizing the sketches from life and completing the drawings - from memory and from photos - I no longer have the strength for a larger repetition.

While searching for gouache varieties, I came across another talented illustrator, whom I will not link to here, because he causes me some internal contradictions. Moreover, I often came across the fact that it is useless to ask Western illustrators about materials or any subtleties of work. In 90% of cases they simply do not answer and are not particularly focused on the topic of how exactly they work. I understand their position very well, but I think it’s ugh. But then it turned out that there is an even more superlative degree. The talented illustrator, to whom I am NOT linking, answers all questions about the technique and materials used very clearly: “Please send me an email to purchase the information.” At first I thought that it was simply misspelled when I saw the signature under one of the works after the list of materials used. Because purchase information is information about a purchase, but to purchase the information is the purchase of information. But no. A person really only shares information for money. And I still don’t understand how I feel about this.

On the one hand, he is right. This information didn’t just fall out of the sky to him either. He invested time and money into his work technique. It’s scary to think how much money I’ve already spent on finding materials that best suit me. So it is with him. Why should he now share with someone for free? I myself have often encountered the fact that my detailed stories or thoughtful topics and lessons that people received for free were used for entire master classes, that is, monetized and everything passed me by into someone else’s piggy bank, including the piggy bank recognition. But there is also such a thing as creative exchange. Without it there is no normal development. There is only stagnation. What if it was my information, which I shared from the heart, that helped some very cool artist get on his feet?! After all, without him the world would be a much poorer place.

Another point. Personally, I’m not ready to pay a person for information that I can easily do without (well, I’ll look further to see what’s there). For a master class - yes. And for one sentence, what kind of roller he applies the paint with or in what proportions he dilutes it - most likely not. Although, this is also a payment for the time spent on explanations! What if this particular detail would help me more than any master class? A very complex topic.

What do you think about this? Are artists doing the right thing when they monetize all their knowledge? Are they great or is it disgusting? Just please don’t tell me about the golden mean, that you can share it for free and at the same time convert it into banknotes through various master classes and sales. There is no talk about this. It’s already clear that you can do it in a smart way, like. What about the uncompromising: “To buy this information, write me an email”?

The faces of people in most of the artist’s paintings are darkened or turned to the side. This is done to express emotions and to allow the body to “speak.” “I have always tried to show the world only positive moments in life. I hope my work brings joy, peace and comfort to the viewer's life,” says Hanks.

Rainy watercolor by Lin Ching Che

The talented artist Lin Ching-Che is 27 years old. He is inspired by autumn rain. Cloudy city streets do not make a guy feel melancholy and despondent, but rather make him want to pick up a brush. Lin Ching Che paints in watercolors. With colorful water it glorifies the rainy beauty of megacities.

The boiling fantasy of Arush Votsmush

Under the pseudonym Arush Votsmush hides a talented artist from Sevastopol, Alexander Shumtsov. The artist says about his paintings: “I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone with my works. First of all, I enjoy it. This is a pure drug of creativity. Or a clean life - without doping. Just a miracle."

The charm of Paris in the works of Thierry Duval

Paris-born artist Thierry Duval has traveled extensively. Hence the presence of entire series of paintings based on “geographical characteristics.” Nevertheless, Paris was and remains the author’s favorite place. The lion's share of works is dedicated specifically to the city of lovers. He has his own technique of layering watercolors, which allows him to create paintings with almost hyper-realistic detail.

Evening Calm by Joseph Zbukvic

Today, Croatian-born Australian Joseph Zbukvic is considered one of the pillars of watercolor painting throughout the world. The artist fell in love with watercolor literally from the first stroke; he was struck by the untamed nature and individuality of this technique.

Secrets of the East through the eyes of Myo Vin Ong

The artist Myoe Win Aung dedicated all his work to his native Burma, its everyday life and holidays, lay people and monks, towns and cities. This world is calm, dressed in gentle colors, mysterious and slightly thoughtful, like the smile of Buddha.

Incredible watercolor by Joe Francis Dowden

English artist Joe Francis Dowden paints hyper-realistic watercolors. And he believes that everyone can do this, you just need to know the secrets of the technique. The secret of his inspiration is extremely simple: “Throw away your watercolor textbooks and get lost in a real forest.”

The magic of ballet from Liu Yi

The watercolors of this Chinese artist can easily be called art about art. After all, his favorite theme is images of people who are directly related to him - for example, ballerinas or classical musicians. The way they are presented in the paintings is peculiar: people seem to emerge from a thin haze, emotional and very characteristic. To some extent, they echo the images of ballerinas by the French artist Edgar Degas.

Solar painting by Abe Toshiyuki

Abe Toshiyuki received an art education and devoted 20 years to teaching, never giving up his dream of becoming an artist. In 2008, he finally abandoned the teaching profession and devoted himself entirely to creative self-realization.

Country morning by Christian Granju

Frenchman Christian Granu (

Voronezh artist Olga Brazhnikova is known for her bright, sunny works done in gouache. The path to art was not easy for her; giving up work as a designer, she entered the Voronezh Art School, and this year she graduated from the Pedagogical University with a degree in Fine Arts. Olga mainly works with gouache and destroys stereotypes associated with this material. For Umbra Media, the artist showed her home studio and told how creativity changed her life.

About studying
“Run away from work at the factory”

- When did you realize that you wanted to become an artist?

I have always liked to draw, but in the minds of my parents (my mother worked as an accountant, my father still works at an aircraft factory), being an artist is not a serious profession. So I had to go to aviation college. I don't understand how I was able to finish it. My ability to draw well helped, I made wall newspapers for tests. When my studies came to an end, I realized that I would never go to the factory. And I went to evening art school so that I would have at least something for my soul. The teacher suggested that I enter the Voronezh Art School.

- How did your parents perceive that you wanted to become an artist?

They didn't believe that I would do it. It was a funny story. Dad said that he knew a man who could draw a portrait of Lenin with a stick in the sand! And if I can’t do that, then I’m not an artist. Despite everything, I prepared for admission, took courses for 2-3 months, and studied drawing separately with a teacher. And when I entered, my parents supported me and were happy. And only later, when my works began to be taken to exhibitions, they believed in me. After college, I ended up at a defense company, where I still work as a designer. I had a rather long break - seven years, but then I decided to return to painting and creativity. In 2013, she entered the Voronezh State Pedagogical University, from which she graduated this year.

About materials
“Few people believe that my paintings are painted in gouache”

- Why did you choose gouache, what interests you about this material?

I became interested in gouache at the pedagogical institute. Previously, I perceived it more as a transitional stage to oil. But now this is my favorite material. It dries quickly, is odorless, gives textured strokes and bright colors. I paint impasto, I don’t dilute the gouache with water. I usually draw on thick paper. Oil, of course, is not so convenient to work in an apartment. Especially considering that my cat constantly tries to get into some kind of jar. Once I was painting in oils, I was distracted for a while, and she had already gotten into the blue paint and left paw prints all over the apartment. Then we spent the whole evening scrubbing away these marks.

- What do you think about the fact that gouache is often called a “children’s” material?

I think this is a stereotype and prejudice. It was in gouache, according to my colleagues, that I developed my own style. When I post my works on the Internet, many people write how surprised they are that the paintings are painted in gouache and not in oil. Gouache is not children's creativity, but a worthy material. It seems to me that masterpieces can be created with any material; the material does not play a primary role here.

- What inspires you?

I love cityscapes. Houses that have lived and have their own history fascinate me. I usually walk around the city, shoot stories, and then write at home. I love the riot of color and textured strokes. And among contemporary artists, I am very inspired by the watercolors of Arush Votsmush.

- In what atmosphere do you like to work - in silence, or with music?

When I write, I most often listen to good old rock. Some of my favorite bands are Aquarium and The Doors

There is a widespread belief that academic education “kills” the artist’s individuality. What do you think about this?

I think arts education is more important than ever. When you watch the same video lessons over the Internet, you are not a participant in the process, but this is necessary. I think that academic education helps to gain drawing skills. I studied with Alexander Starilov, he was a versatile artist, architect, and innovator. He believed that you need to have a classical education, and then look for your own style; the same primitivism is not born out of nothing. And I agree with him.

About implementation
“An artist is more than a profession”

- How do you manage to combine work as a designer, creativity and family?

It’s difficult, I write mostly on weekends. And the daughter is already an adult, you don’t need to be with her all the time, she already has plenty of her own interests. During the period when I did not draw, I constantly felt that I was missing it. Now I am not going to give up painting, I like to be creative and search. Being an artist is for me the meaning of life and more than a profession. Creating a painting is some kind of mystery for me, although, of course, from a technical point of view there is no mystery. But the process is always intriguing - I wonder what will come out in the end.

- What are your plans in the near future? Would you like to have your own workshop?

I really want to participate in exhibitions, and not isolate myself in my own space. I hope that soon I will be able to have a personal exhibition at the art school. And the workshop is perhaps only a matter of the distant future. For now, all my works are placed in the apartment. We recently completed renovations. The walls were specially painted white so that paintings could be hung. I organized the work space so that there was air around and a lot of light. So far it has not become overgrown with all sorts of interesting objects and details, but I think that this will not last long.

In a sweltering country summer or in a lingering blizzard. Without leaving home, you can find inspiration in ordinary fruits or unusual flowers. The subject does not try to turn his head, as in a portrait, and does not change shadows to light every second, as in a landscape. That’s what’s good about the still life genre. And “dead nature” translated from French, or “quiet life of things” in the Dutch version, really enlivens the interior. Natalya Letnikova presents the top 7 still lifes by Russian artists.

"Forest violets and forget-me-nots"

Forest violets and forget-me-nots

Isaac Levitan's painting is like a blue sky and a white cloud - from the singer of Russian nature. Only on the canvas is not native open spaces, but a bouquet of wildflowers. Dandelions, lilacs, cornflowers, immortelle, ferns and azaleas... After the forest, the artist’s studio turned into “either a greenhouse or a flower shop.” Levitan loved flower still lifes and taught his students to see both color and inflorescences: “They should smell not of paint, but of flowers.”

"Apples and Leaves"

Apples and leaves

The works of Ilya Repin organically set off the brilliant setting of the Russian Museum. The Itinerant artist composed a composition for his student, Valentin Serov. It turned out so picturesque that the teacher himself took up the brush. Six apples from an ordinary garden - bruised and with “barrels”, and a heap of leaves covered in autumn colors as a source of inspiration.

"Bouquet of flowers. Phloxes"

Bouquet of flowers. Phloxes

Painting by Ivan Kramskoy. “A talented person won’t waste time on depicting, say, basins, fish, etc. This is good for people who already have everything, but we have a lot to do,” Kramskoy wrote to Vasnetsov. And yet, at the end of his life, the famous portrait painter did not ignore the genre of still life. A bouquet of phlox in a glass vase was presented at the XII traveling exhibition. The painting was bought before the opening day.

"Still life"

Still life

Kazimir Malevich on the way to the “Black Square” through impressionism and cubism, bypassing realism. A bowl of fruit is the fruit of creative quests, even within the same picture: thick black lines of the French cloisonné technique, flat dishes and voluminous fruit. All components of the picture are united only by color. Characteristic of an artist - bright and rich. Like a challenge to the pastel colors of real life.

"Herring and Lemon"

Herring and lemon

Four children and painting. This combination in the life of an artist unmistakably dictates the genre. This is what happened with Zinaida Serebryakova. Numerous family portraits and still lifes, from which you can create a menu: “Fruit Basket”, “Asparagus and Strawberries”, “Grapes”, “Fish on Greens”... In the hands of a true master, “herring and lemon” will become a work of art. Poetry and simplicity: spiral lemon peel and fish without any frills.

"Still life with samovar"

Still life with samovar

A student of Serov, Korovin and Vasnetsov, “Jack of Diamonds” - Ilya Mashkov loved to depict the world around him, and more vividly. Porcelain figurines and begonias, pumpkins... Meat, game - in the spirit of the old masters, and Moscow bread - sketches from the Smolensk market of the capital. And according to Russian tradition, where would we be without a samovar? A still life from the area of ​​festive life with fruits and bright dishes is complemented by a skull - a reminder of the frailty of life.

"Study with medals"

Study with medals

Still life in Soviet style. 20th century artist Anatoly Nikich-Krilichevsky showed in one painting the entire life of the first Soviet world champion in speed skating, Maria Isakova. With cups, behind each of which are years of training; medals that were won in a bitter struggle; letters and huge bouquets. A beautiful picture for an artist and an artistic chronicle of sporting success. Still life story.

GOUACHE

Translated from French, the word “gouache” means “water paint”. Gouache paints have great covering power and are opaque, although they can be diluted with water (see Paints).

Using the gouache technique, artists paint on paper, cardboard, plywood, and thick silk. The works have a matte, velvety surface. But when using gouache, its own difficulties arise - the paints quickly lighten after drying. It takes considerable experience to predict the degree of change in tone and color.

Gouache was widely known already in the Middle Ages, when it was used to create book miniatures (usually in combination with watercolors) in many countries of Asia and Europe, and in the Renaissance - sketches, cardboards, and portrait miniatures. In Russia, the gouache technique reached a high level of development in the art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Artists V. A. Serov, A. Ya. Golovin, S. V. Ivanov painted large easel works in gouache, masterfully using its dense color to achieve impressive decorative effects.

Famous artists use the gouache technique in different ways. Thus, the painting “Fair” by B. M. Kustodiev was painted in a framed manner, in a decorative manner. The painter showed the colorful clothes of people and buildings in general, especially the rows of tents, roofs and behind them a dark strip of forest.

B. M. Kustodiev. Fair.
1908. Paper, gouache.

B. M. Kustodiev. Fair.
1908. Paper, gouache.

A remarkable master of gouache was A. S. Stepanov, known for his works dedicated to landscapes and animals. One of his best works is “Wolves”. The predators, hungry and wary, are surprisingly vividly written. The moonlight is pale, the sky is mysteriously illuminated. The silver-blue color scheme creates a feeling of night cold.

Artists from the World of Art association often turned to the gouache technique. They often combined gouache with other materials. For example, in the work “The King's Walk” A. N. Benois used watercolor, gold, and silver in addition to gouache. The use of the last two materials gave the painting a pomp that was so characteristic of the then inhabitants of Versailles.

A. N. Benois. King's Walk

A. N. Benois. King's Walk
1906. Paper on cardboard, gouache, watercolor,
bronze paint, silver paint,
graphite pencil, pen, brush
State Tretyakov Gallery

Very often, posters, sketches of theatrical scenery, and decorative design works are made using gouache.

How to work with gouache

To work with gouache, it is best to use a porcelain or plastic palette with holes for paints along the edges or just a small, flat white board (30x40 cm). Brushes are round and flat (see Brushes). You can use bristle brushes when working on decorative panels, posters and slogans. But here you will also need poster feathers or sticks, sharpened in the form of a spatula. And when working on a large surface, use a flat brush - a flat bristle brush. Cover the surface with gouache several times without waiting for the paint to dry. If there are any unevenness, level the entire plane with a damp flute. First, draw the stripes sequentially from left to right horizontally, and then over the coating. Do not apply too thick a layer of paint: it will easily crack and crumble. The gouache dries at room temperature for an hour.

It is better to work on a tablet, but you can also use an eraser - a plywood tablet with an outer frame that clamps the edges of the paper, or with two frames inserted into one another.

Paint with gouache on white drawing paper, wrapping paper, or gray cardstock. To stretch the paper evenly on the tablet, place it so that its edges on each side are 2-4 cm larger than the tablet. Then wet both sides of the paper with a sponge until it lies flat. After this, dry the paper with cotton wool, and grease the edges of the tablet with flour paste or dextrin. Start gluing from the middle of the tablet, pulling evenly in all directions. Secure the corners with buttons. To dry, place the finished tablet horizontally on a level place, paper side up. Your material for working with gouache paints is ready.

Gouache still life will add bright colors to your kitchen, dining room or living room. Realistically depicted fruits and flowers will help make the interior sophisticated, creating a volume effect.

In the Art-Icon gallery you will find gouache still lifes, as well as works by classics of the genre.

To make your search convenient, we have developed a catalog that is divided into sections by style, theme, color, size and price. You can look at the website for still lifes of famous artists, painted in gouache, and choose a suitable painting. If you couldn't find the piece you need, order it in our online store. The final cost of the work consists of several components: deadlines, material, size and design.

Why is it worth ordering a still life in gouache from our gallery?

1. We guarantee strict adherence to the deadlines for completing the work specified in the service contract.
2. Qualified specialists of the Art-Icon gallery will advise on all questions of interest, help you choose a suitable painting, for example, a still life painted in gouache, and also provide detailed information on the cost of works of art.
3. If a painting purchased in our gallery is not suitable for you, it can be returned within 7 calendar days from the date of purchase.
4. We deliver the goods within 4 days.
5. Various forms of payment are available:
   • by credit card when ordering in our online store;
   • cash to the courier upon delivery of the goods.

Our Facebook group, Instagram and Twitter pages, as well as a blog on our website will help you keep abreast of the latest events, trends and discoveries in the field of contemporary art. Your opinion is important to us! Do you want to cover an interesting topic yourself? Send us your article and become a freelance gallery curator.

In addition, we offer cooperation to artists. Send photos of your work to .

Valeur– subtle tonal gradation of one color.

Wet on wet - this technique is familiar to anyone who has worked in watercolors, and is often used when you need to depict clouds or a background covered in foggy haze. Working wet-on-wet, you should dilute the paint a little more than usual, apply it to the paper and quickly add thinned paint of a different color on top. After this, the colors will begin to blur, forming bizarre shapes with soft, blurry edges. If this does not happen, it means that you did not dilute the paint thinly enough or were too late in applying the second layer, and the bottom layer of paint had already dried by this time. To avoid this, I advise you to pre-moisten the paper using a brush soaked in clean water. This technique is good when you need to paint a figure with clear outlines and not washed out color. At the same time, individual brush strokes remain visible in the picture. This is one of the classic techniques for working with gouache, and with its help you can achieve truly amazing results. Multi-colored, clearly shaped paint strokes applied next to or on top of each other look especially impressive. Since gouache is opaque, you can apply light paint over dark paint, and vice versa.

Gouache fill with color transition - An artistic technique that is often used to create a beautiful background with a smooth transition in tone. Allowing you to achieve a smooth transition of color from dark to light or even reduce the color to a white background. Proceed as follows: selected shades
are applied in horizontal stripes, after which we gradually begin to smear the paints (the paints should not have time to dry). Movement of the hand from right to left, then from left to right. You can also use a sponge to create a smooth transition.

Impasto - a technique that involves applying thick paint in thick layers. If you want to use impasto, take a tube that you have used more than once: this paint will be thicker than new paint that has just been opened. Gouache can also be thickened with an acrylic additive or a special Aquapasto additive from Winsor&Newton, created for using the impasto technique when working with water-based paints.

Carnation - application of paints in several layers. Used to depict human faces and body parts. The technique made it possible to achieve maximum realism in the image.

Glaze - a method that involves applying transparent layers of other tones on top of the main color. By covering the base color with translucent layers, a new deep shade is obtained. For gouache this method is available in the same way as for watercolor. The gouache needs to be diluted quite heavily with water so that it becomes transparent. Using the glazing technique, you can create a unique fog effect; gouache is suitable for this like no other material.

Smear - This is the mark left by the brush. In oil painting, strokes can be more expressive due to the greater thickness of the material and the thickness of the paint layer. Using the brushstroke technique, you can enhance the dynamics and give the work additional expressiveness. They write with strokes on paper of any moisture content. But best results can be achieved on slightly damp and dry paper.

Monotype (from the Greek “monos” - one, united and “tupos” - imprint) - one of the simplest graphic techniques, the origins of which go back to the 17th century. The essence of monotype is to apply paint by hand onto a flat and smooth surface, followed by imprinting on another surface (on a machine) or on paper folded in half. The resulting print is always unique, and it is impossible to create two identical works. Next, the resulting colored or monochrome blots are either left in their original form, or a suitable image is thought out and the missing details are drawn.

Multilayer painting - the most important technical type
b oil painting, which requires dividing the work into a number of successive stages (underpainting, registration, glazing), separated by breaks for complete drying of the paint. When performing a large thematic composition, as well as during long-term work in general, multi-layer painting is the only complete oil painting technique. Until the middle of the 19th century. all the major advanced artists of the past used this technique as their main one. Later, the Impressionists and their followers abandoned it.
From a narrow technological point of view, not related to the technique of the old masters, the concept of multi-layer painting can only correspond to registration on a dried paint layer (without underpainting or glazing).

Pastose technique gouache is also available. This technique involves applying thick, opaque paint to the work surface. This technique is inherent mainly in oil painting. Texture, light and shadow in paintings painted using the impasto technique depend not only on the color, but also on the shape and direction of the strokes applied. Gouache can also be used in this style, especially if it is PVA-based or acrylic. When working in the impasto technique and using ordinary artistic gouache, you need to remember that too thick a layer of this paint tends to crack and crumble after drying. Therefore, you need to very carefully add layers of thick gouache to the canvas in order to obtain the “golden mean” necessary for this technique and material.

Pointillism - translated means “precision”. The technique allows you to achieve visual effects through dotted or rectangular strokes, excluding color mixing.

Uniform filling using a brush - used for painting surfaces or parts thereof. Done with a brush. The gouache should not be too thick (the paint will form clumps) or too thin (spots will appear). Fill the outline starting from the edges.

splashing - a very simple and pleasant way to create texture. Using this technique you can draw pebbles on the road, river pebbles, leaves and the like. It is best to spray gouache using a small paint brush (preferably a new one and designed to work only with gouache, but not with drying oil or water-based paints). Load your brush well with paint, pull the bristles back (away from the painting), and then quickly release them. The bristles will rush forward and a whole cloud of small droplets of paint will fly off them. In order not to splatter the entire painting, make a paper mask cut from a newspaper or an unnecessary sheet of paper and cover the part of the painting that should not be splattered.

SG raffito - This technique is akin to engraving. The essence of this technique is to scratch the wet paint with a sharpened stick or the tip of a knife to expose the underlying layer of paint. When working with gouache, you must complete the sgraffito as quickly as possible - within literally a few seconds after applying the top layer of paint, since gouache, unlike oil paints, dries almost instantly. Using the sgraffito technique, you can create very beautiful unusual textures that look best in the foreground of the picture.

Mixed media - in addition, gouache is perfectly used in mixed painting techniques. For example, the background is made with gouache, and the drawing on the background is made with acrylic. Flowers made with gouache and acrylic are very impressive. Gouache can also be used in combination with watercolor, pastel, and tempera.

"Dry brush" - in painting and graphics, an auxiliary technical technique consisting of working with hard brushes that are weakly saturated with paint. As an independent technique, dry brushing is used mainly in decorative arts. The technique externally imitates colored pencils. Easy to perform. Makes it easy to mix colors directly on paper.

Dry glazing - no less interesting method. A dry brush leaves a trail of paint that makes the underlying layers glow.

Sfumato - thin transition
veta in color. Softening the outlines of figures and objects in light and shadow modeling in general, which allows you to convey the air that envelops them. The sfumato technique, as the most important element of aerial perspective, was theoretically justified and applied by Leonardo da Vinci.

Stamping - Applying impressions using a sponge, cotton wool or even crumpled
sheet of paper. . This can be especially successful at simulating rough ground, thick grass or foliage. In addition to a sponge, texture can also be created with a strip of corrugated paper or cardboard folded several times, and very unusual and unexpected effects arise.

Russian painting is rightfully distinguished from world art. The fact is that until the seventeenth century, Russian painting was associated exclusively with religious themes. The situation changed with the coming to power of the reforming tsar, Peter the Great. Thanks to his reforms, Russian masters began to engage in secular painting, and icon painting separated as a separate direction. The seventeenth century is the time of such artists as Simon Ushakov and Joseph Vladimirov. Then, in the Russian art world, portraiture arose and quickly became popular. In the eighteenth century, the first artists appeared who moved from portraiture to landscape painting. The artists’ pronounced sympathy for winter panoramas is noticeable. The eighteenth century was also remembered for the emergence of everyday painting. In the nineteenth century, three movements gained popularity in Russia: romanticism, realism and classicism. As before, Russian artists continued to turn to the portrait genre. It was then that the world-famous portraits and self-portraits of O. Kiprensky and V. Tropinin appeared. In the second half of the nineteenth century, artists increasingly depicted the common Russian people in their oppressed state. Realism becomes the central movement of painting of this period. It was then that the Itinerant artists appeared, depicting only real, real life. Well, the twentieth century is, of course, the avant-garde. The artists of that time significantly influenced both their followers in Russia and throughout the world. Their paintings became the forerunners of abstract art. Russian painting is a huge wonderful world of talented artists who have glorified Russia with their creations.