Master of Limited Color: Whistler’s Painting Process

This article delves into the captivating painting process of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, as highlighted in the April 1973 issue of American Artist magazine. Whistler, an American painter based in Victorian England, challenged the prevailing artistic norms of his time with his revolutionary approach. This article aims to shed light on three important factors that defined Whistler’s unique artistic process: his spontaneous approach, meticulous color planning and the harmonious interplay of closely related tones.

1: Spontaneity

To ensure harmony and preserve spontaneity in his paintings, Whistler employed a technique where veils of color were brushed over a toned ground. This approach integrated the strokes with the underlying tones, similar to how pastel paper weaves through the strokes of a painting. The fluid nature of his paint encouraged rapid and spontaneous brushwork more commonly associated with watercolor than oil. Whistler believed that starting with a white canvas was a disadvantage, as it required repainting and overworking to adjust tonal relationships. By using a toned ground, the strokes were immediately harmonized and reduced the need for extensive tonal adjustments.

Whether the canvas was coated with transparent size or primed with a layer of color, Whistler allowed it to remain absorbent. This enabled the fluid oil color to seep into the fibers of the canvas, similar to Chinese ink soaking into the absorbent paper used by Asian masters. The absorbent canvas held Whistler’s fluid strokes intact while also softening and integrating them with the overall fabric of color. This technique ensured that the liquid paint stayed in place and prevented excessive run-off that would occur on a less absorbent surface.

2: Color Planning

Whistler’s colors of choice were yellow ochre, raw sienna, vermilion, Venetian red, Indian red, burnt sienna, raw umber, cobalt blue, mineral blue (a deep blue, no longer made, but something like ultramarine), black and white. Despite his pictures predominantly appearing blue and gray, he primarily used warm earth tones in his palette. He understood that grays are not simply mixtures of black and white. The most captivating grays are blends of warm and cool colors, like blues and browns, softened by white and warmed by earthy reds and yellows. Whistler’s skillful manipulation of warm and cool grays resulted in ever-changing and endlessly captivating mixtures.

Each tone in the painting was premixed and placed in saucers. These saucers held extremely fluid color, akin to a thin glaze, rather than the thicker consistency of tube color. Whistler achieved this fluidity by adding a painting medium made of copal, mastic and turpentine. This mixture penetrated the absorbent canvas fibers, drying quickly and creating a stain-like effect, similar to watercolor washes.

Whistler taught his color planning system to his students, insisting that they mixed colors on the palette before starting to paint. He believed that the palette, like a musician’s violin, should always be beautiful and cared for. This attention to detail—and the palette’s role as an instrument of harmony—reflected Whistler’s dedication to teaching and his artistic philosophy.

3: Tonal Harmony

Whistler had a unique approach to color harmonies in his paintings. He believed in using a limited number of colors and their variations to create harmonious compositions. To achieve this, he prepared saucers of colors that were all variations of the dominant colors in the picture. For portraits, he used a range of warm and cool grays, while for blue nocturnes, he incorporated shades of blue and interwove them with warm and cool grays. Occasionally, he added carefully placed notes of red or yellow to create highlights. He selected his colors with care, opting for a limited range of dominant colors. To achieve seamless blends, he used saucers filled with fluid mixtures of colors. Each tone was meticulously premixed, ensuring that the entire composition had a consistent tonal quality.

His technique involved interweaving closely related colors, giving his paintings a monochromatic appearance at first glance; however, upon closer inspection, one could discover subtle variations and nuances within the harmonious color palette. He compared his method to embroidery, where colors appear throughout, creating a harmonious whole. He admired the Japanese approach to color repetition and avoided exaggerated colors and tonal contrasts that deviated from the true essence of nature.

Whistler’s working process was characterized by rapid, deliberate strokes on the canvas. He visualized each stroke in advance and aimed to capture the initial freshness and power of his vision. He believed in placing a stroke where it belonged and leaving it there, minimizing reworking. Whistler spent considerable time planning and observing before executing each stroke. He embraced accidents and sometimes even allowed dripping paint to remain if it harmonized with his brushwork.

Whistler defied the norms of his time with his bold brushwork, thoughtful color planning and skillful blending of tones. His unconventional approach gained him recognition among a group of pioneering painters. Despite the serene and graceful appearance of his paintings today, it’s crucial to recognize the profound impact he made on 19th-century art. Creating an impression of spontaneity and ease demanded considerable effort behind the scenes. Whistler’s lasting legacy as a revered American artist deserves acknowledgment and admiration, as his influence persists and inspires artists today.