Painting a Monochrome Underpainting Demo - Part II
Part 2 of a 4-part demonstration of the underpainting stage of creating a narrative oil painting. In this part of the demo, I begin work on the figures and talk a little bit about rendering forms and paying attention to underlying structures.
I've decided that underpainting related posts will be made available to all patrons since, even thought they are done with paint, the underpainting is in many ways a continuation of the drawing process.
As with part one, I'm working here in straight tube oil colors with no added medium. I'm using my neutral-gray color palette mixed from Titanium White, Ivory Black, and Burnt Sienna. I've posted a video on mixing this palette here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40216918
The brushes I'm using here are synthetics bristle oil painting brushed made by Richeson Art Supplies under the brand name Gray Matters. I use a number 1, 2 and 4 round and a number 2 and 4 flat brush.
Note from a Patreon Patron: Bryan, the more I watched you paint this monochrome underpainting the more excited I am to try it myself. so I have some questions 1) What's the difference between an open/closed Grisaille? Is one just a looser version of the other? and 2) I know in one of your videos you said *I think* that you use basic gamsol/turp for your medium for the early stages. Do you stick with gamsol in later stages for color? Also 3) when you're applying color to monochrome, are you painting opaquely or are you doing transparent glazes (or a mix of both). Thanks again Bryan!
Bryan: An open Grisaille is done in thinned, transparent dark paint (ivory black or, more often, burnt umber or raw umber) over a white/light surface. No added white paint. Sort of like a watercolor painting in one color. A closed Grisaille is done in more opaque paint using one dark color and white to create the values. All of my underpaintings are closed.
I do not add any medium to my underpainting colors. They are done in straight tube color. In fact, I do not use any medium at all, in any stage of painting, except for the very rare cases where I use a transparent glaze of color over the underpainting, and then I use Oleoresgel, Oleogel, or a mixture of both. Oleoresgel sets up more quickly, so I mix between them depending on how fast I want the glaze to set up. This leads me to your third question. My color pass is done, with a few notable exceptions, in opaque, straight tube color with no added medium. The areas where I use a transparent glaze are areas where I want the underlying textures of the underpainting to show through, the color is limited mostly to one hue, the color is dark, and there is no need for delicate control of blending...areas like hair or rocks. Even in those cases, the glaze is used mostly to adjust the general underlying hue, and then I paint into or over the glaze (depending on whether or not it has set up) in opaque color. I never use glazes in flesh tones, skies, light colored drapery, etc.
Patron: Bryan thank you for the wonderful responses. By your definition I spent the past day doing a closed grisaille and there is something so satisfying about doing a monochrome painting again, knowing all of my values are figured out for the most part. I had been using gamsol at times but very little. Good to know about the drying times of the mediums. I will look into them. I think I have oleogel. I can't wait to tackle this in color and see how my painting process is affected. Thanks again for your comments!
