The three examples given show how oil paint can be used in different ways to convey a multitude of moods, feelings, textures, light and tone. In all three the palette is muted and the colours nearly monotone. Philip Guston’s, “The Coat, 1977” has exaggerated forms which have been simplified into basic shapes. minimal tonal effects have been utilised. Vincent Van Gogh’s “A pair of shoes, 1886” is all about the richness of the paint and the thickness with which it has been applied to the canvas. The clever use of tonal contrasts conveys a bleakness in the painting. In Lisa Milroy’s “Shoes, 1985” the paint shines. On first glance the pairs of shoes could be confused as opened mussels. The wetness of the insides of the mussels amplified in the shine of the shoes.

In all three the paint has been laid down quickly but different techniques used. In Guston the paint has been applied thinly and mixed on the canvas. Mixing the paint on the canvas is also apparent in the Van Gogh painting. However in this painting the paint has been laid down generously in thick brush strokes. In the Milroy painting the paint has a sheen, carefully applied and the tonal highlights have been emphasised.

• Part 3 - Prop, performance, stage
• Research