How to Paint Like Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko was a 20th century artist who belonged to a group of painters known as the "Ten," whose work focused on abstraction and expressionism. Starting in the 1940s, Rothko and his colleagues were considered to be the new mouthpieces of American art. With recurring themes that included color, shape, scale and composition, Rothko is best known for his luminous paintings consisting primarily of colored rectangles. To gain a better understanding of his philosophy and aesthetic, emulate Rothko's style in your paintings.
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Instructions
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Set your canvas onto an easel.
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Apply thin layers of paint using sponges and cloths, as opposed to brushes, whose strokes often remain visible.
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Use horizontal, rectangular bands to divide the canvas into upper and lower zones, creating the illusion of a horizontal line.
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Limit yourself to two or three bands of color. Incorporate Rothko's signature yellows, reds and oranges when imitating his earlier work. Use a darker palette if channeling the style that characterized end of Rothko's career.
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Cover the entire canvas with paint. Be sure to leave space between the soft edges of the shapes and the edge of the canvas.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask others to stand close when examining your larger paintings, which is how Rothko intended his large-scale work to be viewed.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_rothko_painting.jpg
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Comments
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I love Mark Rothko's work. Wish I could paint like that!
