Rembrandt and Velazquez were two influential artists in the 1600's. They both had unique styles of artwork. They equally expressed their love for artwork over the years. Rembrandt was well known for his self-portraits, which he produced and his love for religious works. Velazquez also had a love for religious works and was well known for his portraits of royalty. The similarities and differences of the two famous artists are extraordinary. .
Rembrandt and Velazquez both painted distinctively. Their styles were exact, precise and unmistakable. Rembrandt was known for sketching his drawings with all his impressions. He predominately used red & black chalk, ink and quill or reed pen; he also used brush and washes. His etchings were made to be extremely realistic for romantic pictures he used primarily oils. Red and yellow colors were used in military scenes. The landscapes were real and romantic. He used almost always etchings and drawings for landscapes. As he matured his techniques were modified using bold strokes, passages of broken color, and heavy impasto applied with a palette knife. Rembrandt combined pen strokes with brushwork. The early portraits showed impression of activity rather than thought. But as Rembrandt matured he realized that it was more important to focus on the inner state of his subjects rather the external details. As he matured his techniques were modified using bold strokes, passages of broken color, and heavy impasto applied with a palette knife. He also began to scumble areas of his works with his fingers to give them a softer more flowing look. Rembrandt used vivid colors in the beginning of his career, but in the late 1620's he began using more delicate colors. He used cool colors such as lights blues, yellows, light greens, and olive. He generally used gray backgrounds to accent the colors he was using. The colors he picked to use were utilized to show light and shadows.