How Does Lucian Freud Create His Art? A Guide to Lucian Freud’s Techniques
The Egyptian Book © Lucian Freud 1994
Lucian Freud
57 works
Key Takeaways
Lucian Freud, a master of contemporary portraiture, employed meticulous techniques in both painting and printmaking. His use of impasto, detailed brushwork, and natural pigments gave his figures a visceral, almost sculptural presence. In etching and printmaking, Freud applied the same painterly approach, using fine lines and texture to capture psychological depth. Freud’s dedication to realism, both in paint and print, cemented his legacy as a transformative figure in modern portraiture.
Lucian Freud, one of the most distinctive portrait artists of the 20th century, is celebrated for his ability to capture the raw, unvarnished reality of the human form. His work is renowned not just for its psychological depth, but also for its meticulous technical mastery. Freud's portraits, both in paint and print, offer an intense examination of his subjects, blending detailed observation with a distinct tactile quality. In both media, Freud employed labour-intensive techniques that demanded long hours and an intimate connection with his sitters, leaving a lasting legacy in contemporary figurative art.
Lucian Freud’s Printmaking Techniques: Etching
Etching
Freud’s contributions to printmaking, particularly his mastery of etching, are perhaps less well-known than his paintings, but equally significant. While many artists approach etching with a focus on precision, Freud brought his painterly approach to the medium, treating the etching plate much like a canvas. His etchings possess the same visceral, tactile quality as his paintings, with the same emphasis on texture, depth, and psychological intensity.
Freud’s etching technique involved drawing directly onto a copper plate with an etching needle, using networks of finely etched lines to build form and depth. Once the plate was prepared, it was immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed metal. The process of etching allowed Freud to achieve the same intense observation and scrutiny that characterised his paintings. He used fine lines and cross-hatching to create contrasts between light and shadow, emphasising the textures and forms of the human body. Freud's involvement in every stage of the etching process was extensive, and he worked closely with his printers, often revising and fine-tuning his prints until they perfectly matched his vision. His printmaking process, much like his painting, was laborious and exacting, yet the results were powerful, revealing, and deeply personal.
Layered Painting: Freud’s Mastery of Flesh and Skin
Impasto and Thick Brushwork
Central to Freud’s technique is his use of impasto, a method where thick layers of paint are applied to create texture and depth. Freud used impasto to sculpt his figures, meticulously building up the paint layer by layer in a slow, deliberate process. His brushwork became a physical act of discovery, as he worked directly from life, allowing the form to emerge organically through his manipulation of the paint. This technique gave Freud’s paintings a visceral, almost sculptural quality, as though the skin of his subjects could be felt and experienced.
Freud often used hog-bristle brushes, which were stiff and allowed him to push and shape the paint. His brushstrokes varied in intensity and thickness, depending on how he wished to express the physicality of the sitter, Freud allowing the paint to become flesh, as Freud sought to render his subjects with unflinching realism. This meticulous layering process was both laborious and revealing, resulting in works where the physical presence of the figure was palpable.
Rendering Skin and Flesh
Freud famously claimed, “I want the paint to work as flesh”, and this ambition is evident in his rendering of skin and body. His muted, earthy palette enhanced the raw reality of his subjects, emphasising the vulnerability and realism of human flesh. Freud’s skin tones were often created through a blend of natural pigments that captured the subtle hues of the body in various lighting conditions.
This careful rendering of flesh was not just a technical exercise, but also a psychological exploration. By avoiding the smooth, idealised surfaces typical of traditional portraiture, Freud captured the rawness of human existence. His figures often appear vulnerable, with every blemish and imperfection magnified through his unique layering of paint. In this way, Freud’s technique went beyond mere representation; it became an investigation into the essence of human physicality.
Tools and Materials
Freud’s approach to painting required specific tools and materials to achieve the desired texture and depth. His preference for hog-bristle brushes allowed him to manipulate the thick impasto layers, while he often used a palette knife to reshape areas of the canvas in order to reinforce the physical presence of his subjects. Freud’s colour palette was largely natural, focusing on earthy tones that echoed the organic qualities of the body. This palette allowed him to focus on the nuances of skin and flesh, using subtle variations in tone to build depth and convey the weight and mass of the human form. The result was an almost tangible sense of the body’s surface, giving his portraits a three-dimensional quality.
Freud’s Portrait Process: Precision, Time, and Intensity
Observation Over Time
Freud’s process of creating portraits was defined by his relentless observation. His portraits were not quick studies; they were the product of hours, sometimes months, spent with his sitters, often demanding long and exhausting sessions. Freud worked in a slow, methodical manner; this prolonged observation allowed Freud to capture the emotional and psychological depth of his subjects, moving beyond their physical appearance to reveal something deeper and more profound. Freud’s meticulous approach mirrored his desire to capture the complete essence of his sitters. His paintings were not just likenesses; they were emotional and psychological studies that exposed the inner lives of his subjects that were unvarnished and objective, stripping away illusions of glamour or idealisation.
Building Emotional Depth
Freud’s portraits are celebrated for their raw emotional depth. He avoided any form of idealisation or flattery, often portraying his subjects in a way that revealed their vulnerability, frailty, and humanity. His close personal relationships with his sitters, often family members or friends, enhanced the intimacy of his work. The emotional power of Freud’s work comes from this commitment to authenticity, which extended powerfully to his own self-portraits. As Freud aged, his self-portraits became a profound exploration of mortality, depicting the inevitable decline and fragility of the human body.
In these self-portraits, Freud did not shy away from confronting his own physical ageing. He often depicted his body with the same unflinching realism that he applied to his other sitters, emphasising sagging skin, wrinkles, and the physical toll of time. This self-examination was not merely a clinical observation; it carried an intense psychological weight. Freud's refusal to soften the reality of his ageing self resulted in powerful images that speak to universal themes of time, loss, and the human condition.
Freud’s techniques in both painting and printmaking demonstrate a deep devotion to truth, texture, and the rawness of human vulnerability. His command of impasto, paired with his meticulous, observational approach, enabled him to capture not just the physical form, but the very essence of the human body. In his etchings, Freud applied the same intensity, using the medium to delve into new dimensions of form and psychological depth. Together, these approaches cemented his legacy as a transformative figure in modern portraiture, reshaping the fields of painting and printmaking with his uncompromising and intimate portrayal of humanity.
Lucian Freud
57 works
