Margret E. Short Fine Arts

Portland, Oregon artist Margret Short - a modern day master of 17th Century Dutch art using the chiaroscuro technique to create still life and floral paintings.

From the Vizier’s Studio

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Vizier's Habiliments detail paintbox blog size

This detail of one of the finished Part ll Project paintings shows how the vizier’s paintbox might have looked in his studio. The colors in the box, red iron oxide, malachite, yellow, and black were all used in my painting just has he most likely would have used. Writings below the box are on papyrus.

Chiaroscuro Painting

Oil painting with the chiaroscuro technique illuminates the focus area with a strong light. All other areas are painted with less detail, lower values, and intensity of color giving a mysterious appearance. By putting one or two objects in the important focus area, a strong but simple composition will emerge. Combining these oil painting techniques with a selection of superior natural pigments and oil paints result in the beautiful and evocative quality known as Chiaroscuro Painting.