Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas started as an artist in 1853 at age eighteen when he turned a room in his house into an art studio. After getting a getting advice from Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, "Draw lines, young man, and still more lines, both from life and from memory, and you will become a good artist", he enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts. While there he studied drawing with Louis Lamothe, who helped him flourish. Degas then traveled to Italy where he made studies of many masterpieces. His art style reflected that of Ingres, because he revered him so much and his art was apart of the impressionism movement. However, he did not like the term impressionism and preferred to be called a realist. Degas's art style does fit with the impressionism movement. He creates off-center paintings as well as experiments with form and color which are key notes of impressionism. Degas is known for his paintings of dancers, specifically ballet dancers. He also know for creating a tension in his paintings between men and women and portrayed this by cropping subjects in an awkward manner and painting from and unusual viewpoints. Degas used many materials and techniques, such as gouache, pastel, and distemper. He experimented with pastels, mixing them with fixative so they could become a paste. He also used ink and brushed it on to create interesting light contrast. Ever brush stroke of his is planned and executed in precise control. Degas dabbled in sculpting and only ever debuted a few pieces. His studio had several wax sculptures that had to be cast in bronze to preserve the after he died.