Underpainting

Renee Price · 03-24-2002, 08:34 PM

This is an underpainting of a portrait I started a few days ago. I plan to complete the painting by adding layers of colored glazes (thanks Karin

). It is a combination of two photos, so please look at the light source (back light top left) to make sure I'm consistent. Any comments or suggestions are welcomed.

Renee Price · 03-24-2002, 08:37 PM

Here is a detail of the face.

Karin Wells · 03-25-2002, 08:05 PM

There is a large range of "acceptable" in underpainting...and what I see falls into the "acceptable" category.

However (and this is merely my subjective opinion), I think that your darks are much too dark. When you add color glazes to these dark areas, they will get even darker.

Beginning with such dark areas risks losing that "translucent and thin" quality that are so delicious in a finished piece.

Your light areas are perfect in the value that I see and with the addition of thin color glazes this will allow you to build up thick light.

Generally in an underpainting, I like to see a much more narrow range of values...ultimately it will give you more latitude.

So that you can see what I mean by a more narrow range of values, I am attaching an underpainting study that I did a long time ago. It is a detail of Mme. Ingres (I never bothered with the glaze stage.)

Patt Legg · 03-25-2002, 11:28 PM

Renee, I certainly do not even attempt to critique and cannot touch the suggestions given by Karin.I think the advice given by Karin are some of the most down to earth and most useful of all. Personally though I really like what you have started. Drawing is fantastic. Similar to what I start as far as value but mine is even darker in value than yours.

So Karin, I am trying to see what you are saying. I think that I have a problem identifying all the glazing or transparent colors. Can you give me a test or process of learning these so I do not glaze and get dull color.

Patt

Karin Wells · 03-25-2002, 11:51 PM

A glaze is just a translucent color + a lot of medium (I use Liquin). This is "floated" over a dry surface and it will gently alter the color beneath. Please note that several thin layers are preferable to one thick one.

For example, some translucent colors I glaze with are burnt sienna, raw umber, prussian blue, alizarin crimson, (etc.)....as opposed to heavily pigmented and opaque colors like yellow ochre, Indian red and titanium white.

Here is another post on underpainting: http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...=&threadid=190

Here is a post on the list of colors I often use to glaze with: http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...?&threadid=210

Joan Breckwoldt · 03-26-2002, 12:09 AM

Here is my big question with glazes that I need help with. After the underpainting let's say I'm going to work on the face. Do I glaze with a flesh color? Then after that is dry, how would I get a pink color into the cheek? I am used to blending it all while it's still wet. How does one get the glazes to look so blended? Same goes for the shadow area, how is that 'blended' into the medium tone?

I hope I am explaining this so my question in understandable. I have painted my daughter and an art teacher (last semester) told me I should add some glazes to change the color.

Perhaps a glaze is ONE layer but consisting of different colors on different areas of the canvas?
I don't have a digital camera to post my painting, if I can get my scanner to work then I'll post the painting of my daughter in it's unfinished stage.

Thank you all for any help,
Joan

Karin Wells · 03-26-2002, 09:04 AM

Hmmmmm.....this is probably more of a "show" than a "tell", but here's how I do it.

After the raw umber and white underpainting is finished and dry, I glaze with a "flesh" tone (usually burnt umber) and let that dry.

Then I mix paint to EXACTLY match that flesh color.

I scumble this mixture over the face (or whatever). Remember that you can still see through a scumble.

When this is wet, I add pure color in TINY amounts to "pink up" the cheeks. (I usually use Indian red for this).

When this whole thing is dry, you can repeat any or all of the above processes again and again...the more you repeat, the more porcelain-like the skin becomes (good on some children).

Marta Prime · 03-26-2002, 04:52 PM

Hi Karin,

Quote:

Then I mix paint to EXACTLY match that flesh color.

Can you elaborate on this a little? I sometimes run into a little trouble at this point if I don't get the mix translucent enough. I don't want to obliterate the shadows in the underpainting. Do you lighten the light areas between each layer?

Your posts have been a wealth of information!Thanks for sharing.

Marta

Renee Price · 03-26-2002, 05:35 PM

I wish I had a picture of a painting I'm working on now (it's almost finished). This is what I do and I think this is what Karin is talking about. For the exact fleshtone, I decide what the undertone of the skin is. If it is a cool undertone, I add blue, if it is a warm undertone, I use green.

Here is my mixture of fleshtone: flake white, add cadmium red light, then cadmium yellow light, then to warm up the color, I add yellow ochre, and last either prussian blue or phthalo green (very very small amount) to grey the color so it will not be so orange. Flake white and yellow ochre are opaque colors and cannot be used as a glaze because you will lose any shading underneath. If you use a dry brush and add the fleshtone on top of the underpaint (scumble), you will not lose the shading underneath.

I've always used a dry brush and I am pleased with the results. I used to use glazes all the time until I ruined a commission because the paint underneath the glaze disolved. Because of Karin, I am trying glazes again and so far so good. Karin, you're just going to have to make a video!

Hope this helps,
Renee

Karin Wells · 03-26-2002, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Then I mix paint to EXACTLY match that flesh color. I scumble this mixture over the face (or whatever). Remember that you can still see through a scumble.

I mean what I said. Mix the paint to EXACTLY that flesh color seen on the dry surface after the glaze has dried.

I usually make the exact color by mixing some or maybe even all of the following colors; raw umber, white, raw sienna, and burnt umber.

And yes, this pile of paint will be opaque after it is mixed. (If the opacity bothers you, use zinc white instead of any other white).

To make a scumble, you take a TINY amount of this "flesh toned" paint and mix it with a LOT of medium (Liquin)...and you paint this over the skintone. You will be able to see through it. If you can't, you have too much opaque paint and not enough medium. A scumble is thin and "milky."

The beauty of a scumble is that it will automatically cool down your halftones. After the layers of scumble are dry, you will probably need to warm up your deep shadows (I often use a glaze of raw umber + raw sienna for this), but be sure to leave the cool halftones alone.