Grisaille with color

Tito Champena · 05-12-2003, 07:12 PM

It took me a while to get the guts to put color on a grisaille that I had posted a few months ago.

This is the result; I wish the photo would have been of better quality.

Richard Huante · 05-13-2003, 12:00 AM

Hello Tito,

Just browsing the forum when I ran across this great painting. The only thing I can see that might be out of place is that the whites of the eyes are a little bright, seeing that the light comes from above (our) right. They look a little stark, at least on my monitor. The bright spot above the ear is glare, I presume? Everything else looks pretty good to me!

Regards,

Mari DeRuntz · 05-13-2003, 12:12 AM

Here is a link to Tito's verdaccio underpainting thread.

From that thread, I pulled a comment from Karin Wells that foreshadows what is in fact happening as you proceed on this canvas:

Quote:

You might find that your eyesockets are a bit dark even though they seem "balanced" now, they won't be later. Underpainting tends to be more about accurate halftones than the final balance between light and dark.

Do you see how the eyesockets are now too dark, lending the portrait a foreboding note the underpainting did not have.

This is not my usual method, so I'm learning along with you here...

Tito Champena · 05-13-2003, 01:55 AM

I met Karin Wells at the recent Portrait Artists' convention in Washington, DC and she showed me the right tonality for a grisaille underpainting. Mine was too dark to begin with. After the eye sockets in my painting became darker with the glazes, the white of the eyes appeared to be too light because I did not put any glaze on them. I'm finding out that when using an underpainting, this has to be considered only as a blue print for the final work. I'll keep trying until I can gauge more accurately the values. I guess my experience could help a couple of new members who were recenyly inquiring about how this is done.

Timothy C. Tyler · 05-14-2003, 03:42 PM

That has a nice overall feel to it....mood even.

Leslie Bohoss · 05-16-2003, 11:30 AM

Hi Tito!

A very nice work.

After your first glazing-exercise, can you give me a few hints about glazing? Or have you made a photo-series for the topic "Painting a Portrait Start to Finish?"

Ciao

Tito Champena · 05-18-2003, 07:34 PM

Hi Leslie, I'll be glad to share with you my experience with the technique of using a monochromatic underpainting (grisaille).
I first mixed the greenish gray to paint the grisaille. This was made of Mars Black, Flake White and Chrome Green Oxide. I mixed different values by using more black for the darker color and more white for the lighter ones. After I had resolved the lights and the shadows in the painting I left it to dry for a few days.
Painting the grisaille is crucial, because you have to be sure you got the right composition and a decent drawing, since you cannot make corrections later. When painting the lights and the shadows make sure you leave the shadows at least two values lighter and the lights two values darker to make room for the glazes that will come later. I painted the dark areas of the painting with transparent glazes of dark colors and the light parts with light opaque colors. Really, there is no mystery to it, you only have to make sure that the painting has dried before you apply the next glaze. The process is rather laborious because you cannot proceed unless the painting has dried. Also, because you have to follow a plan in order to obtain a final product that is like the one you have visualized. Every glaze you apply has to have a purpose and an intended effect. There is no room for guess work.
I hope this information will help you.

Leslie Bohoss · 05-19-2003, 11:47 AM

Thank you Tito!

All this help me a lot.

At this time I practice with charcoal etc..
to achieve the basics in form and tonal.
I can't to say that I was a very industrious

with 4 picture in a year,shame,shame...
Thanks again.
Happy painting!
Leslie

PS:You lucky! Met with Karin Wells...