Matte
I can appreciate a matte service from a scientific point of view. Dull areas absorb light rather than reflect light, especially when the color is of a dark shade. Therefore, I truly love deep dark matte colors lying within the crevices of a painting. In the same way, I find it even more interesting when matte colors are dramatically placed next to high gloss areas within a painting, or dispersed sparingly throughout a painting to suggest a deep dark dimension to the surface.
A matte finish is also lovely when it is used to parallel the tactile qualities of an object. For example, a matte or satin finish can make a velvet cloak seem irresistible to touch even if it is only in a representational, two-dimensional form.
Soft, pastel colors that are found in impressionist paintings can also be more beautiful when given a matte finish.
Gloss
It’s always tempting to add more, and more, and more gloss to a painting! Traditionally, oil paintings are varnished with a nice glossy finish. Personally, I find an all over glossy finish distracting when viewing a painting, especially in a museum or gallery when the piece is under direct lighting. Instead, I appreciate subtler placement of glossy areas to objects or areas indicative of reflective light.
Just like a matte surface absorbs light, a glossy surface reflects it. It seems just natural to pair the two up with their metaphorical cousins in a painting! For example, a mirror or pane of glass in a painting could appear even more reflective if the bright areas were reflective in real life through a high gloss finish. Furthermore, glossy areas can help define different areas of a painting from one another.
What sort of finishes do you use?
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