Alla Prima (Loosening up)

Alla Prima, or "at the first", denotes a painting completed in a single session utilising a wet on wet technique. Characteristically loose and these 'painterly' works often show evidence of the artist's hand. By painting darker values in transparent layers, and moving to opaque paint in mid to high values, a remarkable sense of depth is maintained. Painters of note* include but are not necessarily limited to Michael Hussar (Fig. 1), Sean Cheetham (Fig. 2), and Eric Bailey (Fig. 3).

Fig. 1 - Michael Hussar

Fig. 2 - Sean Chettham

Fig. 3 - Eric Bailey

A tendency for 'tightening up' has led to imagery lacking the desired dynamism throughout the first half of the semester. Alla Prima's sense of controlled urgency may facilitate a mental shift, allowing the particularities of the medium (oil paint) to become an integral part of the finished work. Should they prove necessary, room still exists for modifying glazes in later stages of the painting process.

* Posts providing a more detailed analysis of those mentioned have been included