Maker’s Medium: Perry Hernandez works to create accessible art through oil painting
Third-year art student Perry Hernandez's oil paintings have little empty space, taking over the entire canvas with vivid, rich color. The meaning of each painting, however, is up for interpretation by the viewer.
"Perry Hernandez has a painter’s plea: “Buy my art before I’m dead.”
(Michael Vigman/Daily Bruin) As much as it is a salesman’s request, he said it is a commentary on the often unfortunate fate of artists who receive support for their work only after they’ve passed. The third-year art student said he has been looking for the balance between the art he sells on his website and the art he makes for school. Before enrolling at UCLA, Hernandez said he made art in high school and began taking it seriously in his junior year. Although the work he makes for classes and the work he makes for sale differ stylistically, he said there is consistency in his medium: oil paint.
“Oil painting is probably my go-to (medium),” Hernandez said. “I’m not a big fan of watercolor, … and I really hate using acrylic. … I really love how much depth and range of colors I’m able to get (with oil paint) and how smooth I can get a lot of the blending.”
Hernandez said he does not enjoy using acrylic paint because it dries too quickly. Oil paint, on the other hand, can take anywhere from a few days to months depending on how heavily it is applied, which he said allows for more time to render images. Made by dispersing pigments in oil, there is evidence of oil paint usage from at least the 12th century, with wide popularity in the Renaissance. But no matter the medium, Hernandez said he looks for balanced composition in his art."— David Egan, Mar. 5 2021
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Daily Bruin website.
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