Direct vs Indirect vs Combination Painting: Differences, Terms, and Artists

Understanding the strict difference between Direct or Indirect Painting will help you create your own painting method and style. Here we will be covering the terms, along with a few examples of those who used the different methods. Each method will be covered in more detail in their own, individual posts.

Direct Painting 

Sargent, Self-Portrait (detail), 1907     Monet, Woman with Parasol, 1875                    Vincent Van Gogh, Room at Arles, 1889 

The Direct Painting Method is referred to by many names: Alla Prima, En Plein Air, Wet-on-Wet, Impressionistic/Impasto, etc.

The basic idea is that a true Direct Painting is finished while all layers are still wet. This can be done in one session or several, as long as the different layers are worked into wet, versus on top of dried layers. Direct painters who paint over several sessions prefer their paint to remain wet for several days in order to work as long as possible. Two mediums that allow for such a length of time are poppyseed and safflower oil.

The Daily Painting movement are artists learning to be strict direct painters. Direct painters tend to have more spontaneous, colorful, and effortless (looking) works. If you are an artist who would like to have more color and freedom in your works, I highly recommend checking out Carol Marine's blog, as well as her book, Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often in order to become a more Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist.

Below is a short video from the Web Art Academy talking about Direct Painting, as well as a great demo by David Kassan.

Indirect Painting 

Raphael, Madonna of the Meadow, c. 1506    Titian,  Bacchus and Ariadne, 1520-1523          Poussin, Et in Arcadia Ego, late 1630s

Indirect Painting is done in stages or layers, with each previous stage dried before continuing.

The basic stages to Indirect Painting are:

1. Imprimatura or Ground 
2. Underdrawing 
3. Underpainting / Dead Color  
• Brunaille 
• Verdaccio 
• Grisaille 
4. Overpainting 
5. Semi-Transparent Glazes

This is the "classic" method to oil painting, also called the Flemish Technique. Name any Northern or Southern Renaissance or Baroque painter and this is the way they painted. 

Note: You will sometimes see people refer to the "Seven Steps of the Flemish Technique," they just break my own steps 4 and 5 into two additional steps. 

Combination Painting 

To be fair, most artist are a combination of the two. Sargent was one artist who would paint the majority of his work directly, allow it to dry and then do final color-correcting glazes over the top. Some other famous artists who used both methods were Rubens, Frans Hals, and Rembrandt.

Again, each method will be covered in greater detail in separate posts. For more about painting check out my main Tips and Techniques page.