Painting Techniques

Water color

The secret of the distinctive lightness of his paintings is named water colors.

Jan Künster is a master of water colors. As they fulfill his demands towards light and transparency, leave him space for choice of colors without rigid restriction. For the latter the artist uses the pen to put the colors into forms.

Water colors are obtained from pigments and binder. The dye is water soluble. The name derives from the Latin word "aqua" (water). The color is applied to the paper by water - and of course not on any paper. For his paintings Jan Künster uses nearly exclusively handmade paper of pure cotton from "Arches France", which is made in France since 1492. This painting background material never forgives any mistakes therefore each stroke has to fit firmly. Any correction is impossible.

It is important that a white ground is created by leaving openings. The paper shines through the color layers and thereby imparts a special lightness to the painting. The creative artist therefore works looking ahead and with each stroke of the brush determines what will be seen in the result later. This explains the transparency and luminosity of Jan Künster´s  paintings. Of course for momentum and dynamics his incomparable brushstroke is decisive.

Large format in Acryl

Jan Künster can live out his special kind of strokes also in his large sized acrylic paintings.

Acrylic paint, a color made of synthetic resin, replaced the traditional oil paint. Had strong odor nuisances and long drying times to be considered before, today the artist is able to design free and color-intensive thanks to the exceptional painting properties of acrylic paint. This modern paint is fast-drying, odorless and adjusts to the canvas or base smoothly. Rembrandt or Van Gogh would have been delighted by this color.

That way Jan Künster creates huge paintings from the field of fantastic realism.

Faces in carbon

The carbon drawings of Jan Künster show a very special technique. The use of black and white takes place without compromise. With a few strokes emerges a piece of art that appeals to the beholder.