- Cover your entire canvas in one transparent color.
- Layer your single underpainting color to connote the shadowed areas in your piece. The old masters used a process called grisaille, whereby they actually painted their entire scene in their single underpainting color.
- Use chalk on your dry underpainting layer to quickly rough your scene, then wipe it away again.
- Leave some areas of your canvas unpainted—the color you use to cover these white spots will be more vibrant than your other colors, making those areas shine brighter.
- Leave some of your underpainting color uncovered in your final work, allowing the underpainting color to show through.
How many layers of underpainting on canvas
I use an underpainting as a “tone map”–an indication of the location, and shapes of the light and dark areas. This underpainting can be as loose, or as detailed as you want it to be. Mine are usually rather accurate, and detailed, when I paint a still life. Once I have created an underpainting in this manner, and to this extent, the “color” part of the painting almost paints itself, it is that straightforward, and easy. I just follow the “darks” and “lights” as indicated on my accurate underpainitng, and the application of the color just happens quite easily from there on. I highly recommend doing at least some form of underpainting, allowing it to dry, and then proceeding with the color layers. My typical underpainting usually requires 2 or 3 applications just to be able to arrive at the level of detail and accuracy that I want. Here is an example of an underpainting that I used for one of my flower paintings, just to demonstrate the level of accuracy to which I bring my grisaille (gray) underpainting, before I begin applying glaze layers of color to it. I have found it to be a quite wonderful, and gratifying way to paint. I use traditional painting medium ingredients, and I avoid the use of alkyd mediums, which create technical difficulties for me when I employ this method. 
I mix approximately equal portions of Grumbacher Ivory Black and Old Holland Raw Umber together. To that combination, I add increasing amounts of Grumbacher Chromium Oxide Green, until the mix becomes a bit “cloudy”, a bit lighter, and, of course, a bit greener. This becomes my “dark limit” to which I then mix whatever amount of White (I prefer Old Holland Cremnitz White, but that is becoming too expensive, and difficult to obtain) is required to create the infinite number of values required to simulate the values in my reference photo. My goal is to create a rather “moonglow” appearance to my grisaille underpainting. This is the final, complete, glazed, oil painitng: 
“Lucid Lavender”…16″ x 20” oil on canvas In my opinion, there is no better, straightforward, or archival way to paint. I say that merely because this method suits my temperament, and my requirement for the final resulting painting. Yes, I most certainly do believe in doing an underpainting, and I use it primarily as a “value map” or a “tone map”, to indicate to me where to put the lights and darks when I begin applying the color glazes. I do allow each layer to dry before applying the next. This is not a problem (waiting for paint to dry) because I have about 3 to 5 paintings in progress at any given time, so I nearly always have some area of some painting that is dry, and suitable for apply further paint.
wfmartin. My Blog “Creative Realism”.
https://williamfmartin.blogspot.com
June 24, 2013 at 2:08 pm #1189677
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I use an underpainting as a “tone map”–an indication of the location, and shapes of the light and dark areas. This underpainting can be as loose, or as detailed as you want it to be. Mine are usually rather accurate, and detailed, when I paint a still life. Once I have created an underpainting in this manner, and to this extent, the “color” part of the painting almost paints itself, it is that straightforward, and easy. I just follow the “darks” and “lights” as indicated on my accurate underpainitng, and the application of the color just happens quite easily from there on. I highly recommend doing at least[B] some[/B] form of underpainting, allowing it to dry, and then proceeding with the color layers. My typical underpainting usually requires 2 or 3 applications just to be able to arrive at the level of detail and accuracy that I want. Here is an example of an underpainting that I used for one of my flower paintings, just to demonstrate the level of accuracy to which I bring my grisaille (gray) underpainting, before I begin applying glaze layers of color to it. I have found it to be a quite wonderful, and gratifying way to paint. I use traditional painting medium ingredients, and I avoid the use of alkyd mediums, which create technical difficulties for me when I employ this method. [IMG]http://s3.amazonaws.com/wetcanvas-hdc/Community/images/24-Jun-2013/13079-Lucid_Lavender_04.jpg[/IMG] I mix approximately equal portions of Grumbacher Ivory Black and Old Holland Raw Umber together. To that combination, I add increasing amounts of Grumbacher Chromium Oxide Green, until the mix becomes a bit “cloudy”, a bit lighter, and, of course, a bit greener. This becomes my “dark limit” to which I then mix whatever amount of White (I prefer Old Holland Cremnitz White, but that is becoming too expensive, and difficult to obtain) is required to create the infinite number of values required to simulate the values in my reference photo. My goal is to create a rather “moonglow” appearance to my grisaille underpainting. This is the final, complete, glazed, oil painitng:
[IMG]http://s3.amazonaws.com/wetcanvas-hdc/Community/images/24-Jun-2013/13079-Lucid_Lavender_Final.jpg[/IMG]
“Lucid Lavender”…16″ x 20” oil on canvas In my opinion, there is no better, straightforward, or archival way to paint. I say that merely because this method suits my temperament, and my requirement for the final resulting painting. Yes, I most certainly [B]do[/B] believe in doing an underpainting, and I use it primarily as a “value map” or a “tone map”, to indicate to me where to put the lights and darks when I begin applying the color glazes. I do allow each layer to dry before applying the next. This is not a problem (waiting for paint to dry) because I have about 3 to 5 paintings in progress at any given time, so I nearly always have some area of some painting that is dry, and suitable for apply further paint.
June 24, 2013 at 2:26 pm #1189678
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I’m a direct painter mostly but I occasionally to a verdaccio just to keep my tonal eye sharp on portraits and figures. I wonder if this traditional way of painting which is invariably associated with the old masters was developed as an efficiency tool when a studio was required to produce complex pictures(always full of figures and portraits) which were not always completed by the studio master but by the apprentices due to the workload. A failsafe if you will. They had both commercial and reputation interests to uphold and rather than leave tonal and detail elements to chance, developed this methodical approach. Of course they were doing the job of the photographer, historian and film maker and needed to be utterly convincing. I don’t think the giants such as Titian, Velasquez, Rubens and Rembrandt were chained to the underpainting method with each and every composition however.(frescos had to be directly painted for example and as such a well trained fresco painter had the skills to apply true tone and colour at once)
I love a beautiful grisaille and am often quite satisfied that they represent a resolved painting, especially in this enlightened age of artistc thinking. Sometimes it’s hard to paint over them.
June 24, 2013 at 3:01 pm #1189668
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I still a bit inexperienced but this is how I do it. I start with a very loose under painting (which is really just my sketch) using transparent oxide red. My goal is simply to get the paint in remotely the correct locations on the canvas and to start suggest form sometimes value. In the past I was allot more concerned to do this in high detail to help me better judge value right, I also used to worry about drawing more back then. These days I am more confidant regarding value and don’t sweat that either … form I know with iterations it will come right. It’s just important I get the basic shape correct and putting some paint down to make new layers easier to make opaque … or for leaving some of the of the under painting open. My drawing skill level is such that alla prima is way out of my reach … in other words I still sux quite a bit. So I layer and iterate the painting till the image is “good” constantly making tweaks and corrections. It takes me sometimes 6 – 8 passes sometimes even more to get it all correct to get some resemblance. This is 30 min – 1hr into a new Peno copy I was working on (last Friday night). At this stage I just used OMS … no linseed oil added to my medium. So the whole layer dries flat (no worries about that yet) but it dries pretty quickly. I try not go to thin (wash) as that can spell problems down the line, especially in higher layers. canvas size 30″x30″: Sometimes I start adding burnt umber early to help establish the darks earlier … burnt umber also seems to dry faster which is always nice if you want to pickup where you left off the next day. This was Saturday after about another 8 hours. I started adding a little bit of oil, but not much. The sketch is looking a bit better … face already had 4 passes (his ear still looks like a freaking Vulcan … but I hope once the values start kicking in that I will get it right … its suppose to 3 brush strokes), feet is on its second (one level up from the 30 min under painting Friday night) Building up the values a bit … not to stressed about the color yet, I start blocking in darks and plan what underpaint I will leave open and what will be covered … for example I know for the pants the current color will be more complementary to what I want to pallet knife over leaving allot of what is underneath showing through in places. I don’t paint during the week, so next weekend this will all be dry to touch. I’ll started again by oiling out with linseed oil or winsor and newton artist medium and all my subsequent layers I start dropping OMS out and end up just with linseed as my medium.
“A portrait is a likeness about which there is something wrong with the mouth” – John Singer Sargent[/I]
June 28, 2013 at 7:37 am #1189680
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WFMartin I very much appreciate your little tutorial on underpainting.
I am curious if you use the same approach (and colours) when painting landscapes? I think this method would help me quite a bit as I seem to be having a problem getting the tones correct in my paintings. Getting the lights and darks mapped in from the start looks like a great solution. I am still a little unsure about “glazing” – I am aware it’s not a good idea to use too much medium. I am assuming glazing is done using the most transparent oil colors and spread as thinly as possible. I just read through some older threads on glazing but now feel more unsure than I did before…:clear:
June 28, 2013 at 9:04 am #1189671
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I am still a little unsure about “glazing” – I am aware it’s not a good idea to use too much medium. I am assuming glazing is done using the most transparent oil colors and spread as thinly as possible.
Most transparent colors need most flat and polished surface. Unless you can have a great trouble with deep and light spots.
You can use any paint, from transparent to chromium oxide for glazing. However you can call it “washing” for opaque and “Glazing” for transparent paint if you want Even “Lifting”. Bills advice for me was “use for glazing any paint you like”.
June 28, 2013 at 4:52 pm #1189681
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Thanks! I am excited to try underpainting in my next painting. I’ve been searching around the Internet for more info on underpainting since I saw this post today. I will probably be attempting another river scene in the next couple days ( since I live on a river). Is it a good plan to use the same colours of black, raw umber and green and then basically paint the scene with a good amount of detail before letting it dry for the glazing?
Underpainting 101
Underpainting. You’ve probably heard the term, but what is it, and why should you and your students try it?
Underpainting is simply the application of a layer of paint to your entire blank canvas. There are several reasons to consider using the technique, one frequently used by the masters of old. It provides a foundation for your next layers of paint, adds color contrast and luminosity, checks your composition and the shape, size, and placement of your elements, and, not least of all, covers that empty white canvas and eases the stress of your first strokes of color. Let’s examine these benefits one at a time.
Washing your canvas in color creates a foundation for the rest of your work. You might choose to apply an even layer of color over your entire canvas or to rough out your scene in a single color, layering darker and lighter in areas of shadow and light. Either way, this first layer of paint will cover much of your paper’s texture, creating a smoother surface for your work.
Applying a specific color to your entire canvas can also add a subtle tone to the finished piece. This affects the layered colors you choose and unifies your work. For example, choosing a cool shade, like blue, for your underpainting layer can give a piece a cold feeling. A reddish base will give the entire finished piece a warm glow. Underpainting with a lighter color can also create that glowing, luminous feeling the classic painters achieved by reflecting the light that travels through the various layers of paint back at the viewer.
And last, a blank canvas can be daunting. Covering the entire piece in a wash of color is an easy way to get past your nerves and get started. Plus, roughing out your scene this way allows you to examine your composition, scale, and the placement of various elements before you really dig in with color.
The actual process of underpainting is fairly simple. There are a few different ways to do it, including:
- Cover your entire canvas in one transparent color.
- Layer your single underpainting color to connote the shadowed areas in your piece. The old masters used a process called grisaille, whereby they actually painted their entire scene in their single underpainting color.
- Use chalk on your dry underpainting layer to quickly rough your scene, then wipe it away again.
- Leave some areas of your canvas unpainted—the color you use to cover these white spots will be more vibrant than your other colors, making those areas shine brighter.
- Leave some of your underpainting color uncovered in your final work, allowing the underpainting color to show through.
A high-quality oil or acrylic paint thinned with a bit of turpentine or other thinning medium makes the perfect underpainting consistency. You’ll want to choose your underpainting color carefully, according to your objectives. Light earth tones or other muted tones will provide a natural base and reflect lots of light. Darker colors will affect the tone of your other layered colors and may show through your painting. Consider using a color wheel to help select an underpainting color that’s complementary to the colors of your finished piece.
Have you used underpainting techniques with your students or on your own works? Share your own tips, tricks, and questions with your fellow teachers below!
