Impressionistic paintings are defined by several chracteristics.
Impressionism is one of the most studied and popularly appreciated styles of artistic expression. The Impressionist movement began in France in the late 1800s. Today these artworks are generally considered to be some of the most visually pleasing ever created. The famed Louvre museum in Paris houses its vast Impressionism collection in an entirely separate building, to accommodate the high volume of visitors who wish to view works from that era.
Broad Strokes
Impressionists used broad, short brushstrokes to create imagery, rather than tiny and fine brushstrokes common in other styles of painting. The larger brushstrokes made the objects appear inexact, but they conveyed the general impression of the subject. These qualities impart a sense of detail when viewed from a distance, but the closer a viewer moves toward the work, the fuzzier or less precise the images appear.
Inexact Shapes
Since Impressionist painters did not concentrate on details, shapes do not appear firm and exact. A boat may appear to have a jagged edge along the bottom, though that is not how boats appear in life. Some of the most notable examples of inexact shaping are Claude Monet's series of waterlily paintings. From a distance, the paintings appear to resemble groups of waterlilies floating in the water. However, the closer a viewer moves toward the piece, the more indistinguishable the shapes become.
Soft Colors
Impressionist painters favored lighter, softer pastel colors. Painters used black for detail and shadowing when necessary, but they made greater use of white. Rather than indicating the darkness of shadows on objects, they were more inclined to represent the light. Soft blues and greens were overwhelmingly the most popular colors. Often, these works, when viewed closely, appear to have broad strokes of soft colors side-by-side, rather than mixed.
People and Nature
People and, most of all, nature were the most oft-selected subjects for Impressionistic works. Naturalism was a recurring quality in many works of the time, in all media of expression and cultures. Of the natural paintings, water was a prominent feature in many paintings. Painting water allowed artists to focus on many of the recurring themes of the movement, such as light, soft colors and inexact shapes.
