Expressionism: In a Nutshell

Have you ever felt like expressing your emotions through art? While you can express what you are currently feeling with words, you just feel it better and easier to release what you feel through painting. Without being completely conscious about it, you might be an advocate of an art movement called Expressionism. 

Technically an artistic style, Expressionism is when an artist depicts not objective reality, but purely subjective emotions and responses that certain objects in the environment arouse within him. More often than not, an Expressionist uses techniques, such as distortion and exaggeration in order to convey feelings and emotions. They also employ swirling, exaggerated brushstrokes, and swaying as a reaction to the anxieties they feel towards the world.

Expressionism was one of the main currents of art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has its roots mainly in Germany and Austria. As it became popular in the 1905, the Expressionists moved to the cities and started forming groups such as The Bride and The Blue Rider. There, they shared studios, exhibited their art works and published their works.

Most historians say that Expressionism was a response to another art movement called Impressionism. And if you recall what we've talked about, Impressionism is all about conveying what the eyes can see through loosened brushwork and light color palettes. Impressionists wanted to capture the passage of time, the changes in the environment, and other shifts in nature.

Rehe im Walde (Deer in Woods), 1914, by Franz Marc

All these are contrasted by Expressionism wherein the elements are often jarring, violent and very spontaneous. Even the use of colors is very different. It is notable by its intensity, brightness, and boldness.

For an Expressionist, the goal is to illustrate the world how it is felt, not by how it looked on the surface. This is the reason why if you will see Expressionist Art, it is often emotionally charged, harsh, and feels quite agitated.
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Have you seen this artwork?

This is The Scream by Edvard Munch. He painted this in 1983. Some consider The Scream as the most important art of Expressionism. It is said that this painting depicts the battle between the individual, the anxiety and alienation felt with the society he or she belongs to.
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And although you are more likely to associate Vincent Van Gogh with his Starry Starry Night painting, his painting, Sunflowers in 1888 is also an example of Expressionist art. His brushwork and his use of expressive colors paved the way for colors, in general, to be used as an emotional instrument.

To paint like an Expressionist, start with the colors you will use. Try to limit your colors to five - one light, one medium, one dark, and two tones in between. Paint according to tone and use as much swirls, swaying, and movement as you can. Check out works from Edvard Munch, Vincent Van Gogh, and other notable Expressionist artists, such as Franz Marc, Otto Dix, and Emil Nolde, too for inspiration!