Breaking the Rules

Roberto Zangarelli combines academic painting with his own artistic principles

Roberto Zangarelli combines academic painting with his own artistic principles

Ibelieve that the key to success is not the perfect tools, but the emotions and moods that are incorporated into the painting and can influence the observing audience. The idea and philosophy that I use to express myself in watercolour is “I know the rules, but the rules don’t know me.” This allows me to combine the laws of academic painting and my own voice.

My vision is based on three principles:

• Atmosphere = the history of the painting • Magic = to stimulate curiosity • Risk = to force the gesture In watercolor I like to use graphic signs that contrast with shades and glazes, paying attention to the dilution and use of the right brush. I use colors that I personally prepare using powdered pigments to obtain personalized shades, experimenting and discovering new frontiers in the world of color. Mostly I paint in plein air to catch the real lights and capture the atmosphere that surrounds me. My direction is toward an emotional art that is less descriptive and transmits positive vibrations and arouses emotions.

My Design & Composition Tactics

The Use of White: I often use titanium white to create fading and texture in the painting The Use of the Spatula: The use of the spatula is fundamental in my style. It manages to generate 3D effects and create

whites where needed. Stop the Lines: Interrupting lines that are too long or too frequent helps to avoid monotony and gives rhythm to the story you want to present. To Risk: By forcing the brushstroke or the gesture in a risky way, we can obtain unexpected and surprising artistic solutions that we would never get rationally.

Shania, watercolour, 46 x 61 cm (18 x 24") Inspired by an ancient stables of Rome, I reproduce its atmosphere between history and tradition. I used pale washings for the lights and strong dramatic pigment to represent the solid elements. The evanescent part induces the spectator to fantasize independently.

Single turn, watercolour, 61 x 46 cm (24 x 18") The disruptive use of colour, breaking the classical rules, transforms the painting into a “logo.” The spotcolour manages to capture my emotion and the observer’s attention. I used a wet on wet technique for the bottom and dry on dry for the elements in the foreground.

Happier, watercolour, 38 x 56 cm (15 x 22") In this painting I looked for summer light to give the atmosphere a feeling of warmth. Another important element for me is the texture of the elements represented. This work was done in plein air with a dry on dry technique.