The Grisaille The Simplest Form of Underpainting A completed grisaille for a larger paintingUnderpaintings are monochromatic versions of the painting, over which the final color layer will eventually be applied. It’s an intermediate step in the Flemish technique (which is the basis for the process I follow), that is done after the drawing and before […]
The second step (after the drawing) for this week’s painting is complete. It’s a straightforward grisaille (gray painting) – probably the most common form of underpainting – using only Mars Black and Lead White. These are quick drying paints – an important consideration since I’m on a tight schedule with these weekly paintings. Ideally it […]
The Ébauche A Type of Underpainting Using Muted Colors The ébauche for this painting is complete and drying.”Ébauche” is a french word meaning draft or first pass, and it refers to a specific type of underpainting. Rather than using black and white, as is the case with a grisaille underpainting, an ébauche uses color. However, […]
With a fully worked out underpainting in place, the color layer usually goes quite smoothly. Often it’s simply a matter of glazing (very thin layers of transparent paint) with the local color and then adjusting details. This was the case with the pomegranate, where I glazed the shadows with a dark transparent crimson. I then […]