Ottorino De Lucchi

(Italian, b. 1951)

Ottorino De Lucchi has a background in science, with degrees in both chemistry and pharmacy. He uses his scientific understanding of the world to approach his subjects with a heightened appreciation for the precision and complexity of nature. De Lucchi finds that the quest for deeper understanding is both a scientific pursuit and an artistic one, and embraces the wonder of the natural world in all that he does. His subjects tend to be highly realistic still lives, focusing on elements such as ripe baskets of fruit, elegant flower arrangements, and crisp autumn leaves. His precise style makes his subjects hyperreal, capturing every small petal and minuscule leaf. With an eye for harmony, he carefully arranges each composition so that it is balanced and cohesive. 

Additionally, De Lucchi’s work is unique because of his innovative drybrush technique. When viewing the watercolor artwork of Andrew Wyeth, De Lucchi learned of his use of a dry brush to create intense line and form. Naturally, De Lucchi then conducted a series of experiments to perfect a drybruch method that was suitable for his own work, ultimately perfecting his own drybrush style. De Lucchi describes this method, explaining that “In essence, watercolor drybrush uses an oil brush technique with watercolor paints. The painter works with amounts of paint comparable to that used with the oil technique and proceeds to build up the painting the way oil painters do. I deem drybrush paintings to have superior brilliance: they appear with more vivid colors, higher color saturation and overall a better contrast of light and dark”. His innovative drybrush method allows for greater light and depth within his paintings, and allows the paint to last longer than most mediums. De Lucchi has gained international recognition for his inventive work, and his eye catching paintings have been displayed in numerous institutions, including the Museo Ceramica in Deruta and the Museè d’Arts Decoratifes in Bordeaux.