Varying Edges

Ask an Artist ’s PETER KEEGAN concludes his three-part still life painting workshop by showing how variety at the edges can really add an extra dimension to your art

- PETER KEEGAN

One of the most important aspects of painting that often gets forgotten about is edges. When artists talk about edges, they are usually referring to the way brushstrokes merge or combine with other brushstrokes, creating a diverse range of painterly effects. Edges occur in a number of ways and factors that can determine how an edge appears include the amount of paint you have on the brush, the amount of weight you apply to the brush, how much you overlap brushstrokes, and the ways in which you blend, merge or manipulate a brushstroke once it's applied.

With all those options, edges are a key element to consider when it comes to developing your own style. The way you apply each brushstroke is completely unique to you - much like handwriting - and can often tell us much about the style or method of an individual artist. One need only to compare the dancing, dabbing brushwork of Claude Monet with the strong rigid marks of Vincent van Gogh or the silky slick applications of John Singer Sargent, for example, and it will soon become clear how differently each artist touched and interacted with the brush and canvas. That personal touch is unique to each artist and something worth developing.

How to vary edges

The exploration and use of a variety of edges in a work can give a painting a greater visual statement and interest, as well as being able to convey a greater range of surfaces and optical effects. The main types of edges are shown in the top right picture.