Discover art for yourself – paint like Klimt

Gustav Klimt and his unique visual language

Gustav Klimt was a significant Austrian Symbolist and one of the most prominent figures of the Vienna Secession . His works include paintings, murals, and sketches, encompassing both portraits and landscapes. At the beginning of the 20th century, Klimt experienced what many consider his "golden phase .

This period is characterized by his predilection for metallic hues and his critical success at the time, particularly with works such as the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) and The Kiss (1907–1908). His stays in Venice and Ravenna, renowned for their breathtaking mosaics, likely influenced his goldwork technique as well as his Byzantine-inspired visual language.

Has the Klimt bug bitten you?

This is practically unavoidable, especially lately when "Klimt-gold" sparkles on every corner and in every publication.

But perhaps you have also read some of these articles, and perhaps you have already become aware that Gustav Klimt achieved a little more than painting pictures in which, besides pleasing shapes, a few gold flecks are scattered across the canvas.

For Klimt was truly an admirable painter and, moreover, an innovator in an environment hostile to innovation. It would be entirely unfair to him and a loss for every art lover to Gustav Klimt to the works currently being marketed in a veritable frenzy.

Klimt had a wealth of ideas and created works that show Expressionist influences as well as wonderful sparks of Surrealism, and his use of color is remarkable even without gold. If you enjoy painting yourself or like to decorate your home in the style of a particular painter, you might be tempted to bring a little bit of Klimt into your home.

But please: Do not become paralyzed by admiration for the few pictures of Klimt that are currently on display everywhere, but actively engage with the much more comprehensive work of this interesting artist.

Gustav Klimt was an artist for over 40 years, and the paintings with gold only defined his work for a mere two years. So there's still plenty to discover. And above all: Why not try painting like Klimt yourself?

Because art is best discovered and understood when you try to comprehend how the artist proceeded and what he was thinking when creating a picture.

We're not in art class ? No, certainly not. But if you want to decorate your old kitchen cabinet in the style of Klimt, it's much more fun if you put some thought into it. Instead of simply buying one of the countless templates that have already been used and copying it without inspiration.

If you'd like some guidance, it's not as readily available as the hype surrounding Klimt might suggest. The focus here is on selling Klimt's work; personal creativity isn't the priority. "Painting like Klimt" are offered, at most, for children.

However, there are many artists or aspiring artists who have studied Klimt's painting style, and you are free to contact one of them to ask if they could offer guidance. You can search generally for painting lessons and inquire individually, or you can submit a specific request on Kunstplaza .

If you are one of the artists who like to share their knowledge, you can also list your offer on Kunstplaza to give interested parties the opportunity to book you for a very personal Klimt course.

My Geek Family Cotton 's video tutorial offers an introduction to Klimt's painting techniques and how to apply them to your own work in 7 easy steps:

The following video, which also provides practical tips to get you in the mood, shows you how a painting by Gustav Klimt is created. The artist works with the so-called patina technique and modeling clay.

And in this second video you can see how two women are created in the Klimt style and how to achieve skin tones exactly like the old master:

Nowadays, students have numerous opportunities to learn more about Gustav Klimt and to try out his style of abstract decorative art – for example, with simple metal markers.

If you'd like to recreate Klimt's masterpiece "The Kiss" yourself, then you should definitely check out the video tutorial from D'art Social . The artist used carbon paper to draw the outlines.