Poppies via Craftsy member Maggie Lowe Original Oil
The Art of Repetition: Top 10 Pattern Artists
Repeated forms and regular arrangements have been used in art from ancient times. The simple act of repeating the same unit over and over again creates new narratives and interpretations. From art inspired by ancient architectural patterns to the development of serialisation in Op and Pop Art, we highlight 10 pattern artists who used repetition in their art, each in their own different way.
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt, known for his ornate, decorative style and the use of luxurious gold leafing, often used patterns in his artworks. The motifs were inspired by Byzantine, Greek and Egyptian art. In The Kiss (1907-8) for example, flat areas of irregular patterns compose the entire painting. The man’s body is created using a repeating rectangle motif, and the woman’s body is composed of circles. In cartoons for the execution of a frieze for the dining room of Stoclet House in Brussels (1910-11), we see a recurring swirling motif that makes up the Tree of Life. The figure on the left side of the tree wears a dress with triangular patterns, while the figure on the right, in the midst of an embrace, has several different shapes on his robe: circles, squares and triangles. In fact, even the gold leafing Klimt used so frequently in his paintings provides a dazzling patterning, clearly visible in his Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907).
M.C. Escher
Dutch artist M.C. Escher came to his signature style following a trip to the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. He carefully copied the geometrical tilings covering the facade of the palace and from that moment onward, his artistic production became much more formally inventive. He started to develop art following the principles of tessellation (covering a plane using one or more geometric shapes, with no overlaps and gaps). At first, Escher explored working with the basic patterns, but then he moved on to work with all sorts of creatures resembling fish, birds, lizards and insects, stemming from his love for the natural world. Escher arranged his shapes across a flat plane such that the spaces between his figures would create other recognisable shapes. In these images, the viewer can choose to see one or the other set of shapes as the foreground at his or her will.
Rectangle canvases
Rectangle canvases are by far the most common. They come in infinite size variations, but we’ll break down some of the most common ones.
Note: While the sizes are standard, our breakdown is objective. What seems small to one painter might seem quite large to another.
Small
Smaller canvases are great for working on fine detailed work or creating images featuring a single, bold image. It’s also the size of many postcards and greeting cards, so it can be a good size for creating artwork to scan and turn into stationery designs.
Common small canvas sizes:
- 4″ x 6″
- 5″ x 7″
Medium
A medium canvas is ideal for the beginning painter. They have a more generous surface area for painting than the previously mentioned small canvases but aren’t such a large work area as to be intimidating. They have room to use a variety of brushes and allow you to explore a variety of different techniques. They might not have a huge impact in a large room, but they will create significant paintings.
Common medium canvas sizes:
- 8″ x 10″
- 9″ x 12″
- 11″ x 14″
- 12″ x 16″
Large
A large canvas is exactly what you need to create paintings that make an impact in a room. They have plenty of room for creating large compositions or large, sweeping scenes. It’s generally easier to work on larger canvases if they are on an easel versus on a flat surface.
Common large canvas sizes:
- 18″ x 24″
- 20″ x 24″
- 24″ x 36″
- 30″ x 40″
- 36″ x 48″
Mini canvases
Anything under 4″ x 6″ is considered a mini canvas. Within mini canvases, you might find square variations such as 2″ x 2″ or 3″ x 3″, or an “ACEO” size (Art Cards Editions and Originals) that is a little bit bigger than a business card. Mini canvases are ideal for creating small paintings and can look great when displaying many of them side by side.
Mini canvas sizes: anything under 4″ x 6″
Square canvases
Square canvases are available in a number of sizes, and are perfect if you prefer the square surface, or if you are making a series of paintings to display side by side (Andy Warhol, for instance, allegedly made his square paintings of a series all in the same size so that they would look great when displayed on museum walls one day).
Common square canvas sizes:
- Mini sizes (under 4″ x 6″)
- 8″ x 8″
- 10″ x 10″
- 12″ x 12″
- 20″ x 20″
Round oil painting via Craftsy member Rodica Slavuc
