FANTASY IN CANVAS OIL PAINTING
Painting gives life to natural phenomena and real life characters. Canvas oil painting is a very good medium to express oneself. When fantasy finds expression in oil painting, it is just beautiful beyond words. Oil painting was in vogue even in early Europe, where linseed oil was used along with various pigments for painting. Linseed oil was boiled with pine resin and this was called varnish. This gave a fine glossy finish and a body to the painting. When such painting was done on canvas, the effect was very appealing. Other oils such as the poppy seed oil, walnut oil and safflower oil are used. Painters use different oils which suit different pigments while painting on canvas.
 Painting has always been an expression of the painter’s thoughts. When a painter gives expression to his/her fantasy, we can see the effect in the paintings. Fantasy generally covers subjects that are not realistic, often fictional, mythological and mystical. It is based on the folklore and ancient legends that we have heard as children. The earlier painters steered clear of macabre themes of horror and did not deal with science fiction. The more recent painters have included horror and science fiction or space exploration in their themes.
The themes relating to the sky, the natural bodies and the space capture the painter’s imagination. The sky with its heavenly bodies provides the right canvas for the artist to work on. Space exploration is another pet theme. The Sun, the moon, the stars, the sky with all its wonders can all be artistically depicted on canvas using oil paints. The abstract thoughts of the painter can be fully used.
Mythology has ample room for depiction. Whether it is Greek mythology, the old Egyptian stories, the stories of Africa or tales taken from the Bible, they can all be very beautifully painted on canvas to give a realistic appeal. Gods and goddesses find a unique place in all paintings. Fairies and demons are also not left out. Mermaids are also beautifully painted.
Painting itself gives a magical effect. When the topics are about magic, it no doubt adds to the overall effect. Surrealistic and unrealistic, magical objects capture the fancy of artists and this finds expression in their paintings, too.
Horror is a topic by itself. Many horror movies have been screened down the ages. These movies have had their posters done on canvas in oil painting. The movies by Alfred Hitchcock are indeed noteworthy for their element of horror and suspense. The effect of these posters was very effective and realistic.
Serge Letvy is a contemporary artist who is into fantasy painting. He believes that everything has connection with the cosmos and has ‘energoform’. His canvas paintings are musical. They give expression to his thoughts and emotions in the form of paintings. Some his paintings are: ‘Underwater Ruins’ – 2004, ‘Fantasy Town’ – 2004, Fantasy Arc - 2005, ‘The Path over the Abyss’ - 2004, ‘The City of the Sun’ – 2004, ‘The Temple on the Brink of the Earth’ -2005, ‘Fantasy Violin Space Ship’ – 2005, ‘Space Exploration – Space- Fiction’ – 2005. His paintings are available in the original.
Oil
painting on canvas makes the painting really effective because
of the sheen that is given due to the oils that are used. This definitely
adds to the effect of the paintings in the ‘fantasy’
category.
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