Impressionism

Impressionists like Monet, Degas and Renoir were not very popular in their time because of their different style of painting.  Rather than spending long hours in a studio the new Impressionists were painting outside and tried to capture the immediate effects of light and movement in their work.  The short brush strokes that are characteristic of this movement which can look messy up close, blend beautifully when viewed further back.  Impressionist art is also about the use of colour.

Degas

Renoir

Monet 

I particularly like the work of Monet.  He abandoned dark colours and only worked from a palette of pure light colours.  He once wrote "As for the colours I use, what's so interesting about that?  I don't think one could paint better or more brightly with another palette.  The most important thing is to know how to use the colours.  Their choice is a matter of habit.  In short, I use white lead, cadmium yellow, vermilion, madder, cobalt blue, chrome green.  That's all".  He never used black and he created shadows by mixing other colours.  In fact at his funeral his friend was appalled by the black sheet covering his coffin and promptly changed it to a flowered one, exclaiming "No!  No black for Monet!".