Editing Impasto (section)

== Purposes ==
The impasto technique serves several purposes. First, it makes the light [[Reflection (physics)|reflect]] in a particular way, giving the artist additional control over the play of light in the painting. Second, it can add expressiveness to the painting, with the viewer being able to notice the strength and speed by which the artist applied the paint. Third, impasto can push a piece from a painting to a three-dimensional sculptural rendering. The first objective was originally sought by masters such as [[Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn|Rembrandt]], [[Titian]], and [[Vermeer]], to represent folds in clothes or jewels: it was then juxtaposed with a more delicate painting style. Much later, the French [[Impressionists]] created pieces covering entire canvases with rich impasto textures. [[Vincent van Gogh]] used it frequently for aesthetics and expression. [[Abstract expressionists]] such as [[Hans Hofmann]] and [[Willem de Kooning]] also made extensive use of it, motivated in part by a desire to create paintings which dramatically record the action of painting itself. Still more recently, [[Frank Auerbach]] has used such heavy impasto that some of his paintings become nearly three-dimensional.

Impasto gives texture to a painting, meaning that it may be contrasted with more [[Flatness (art)|flat]], smooth, or blended painting styles.