Underpainting

[Clive Fullagar]

I have just looked at Karin's demonstration of underpainting and have a few questions.

I am dealing with issues of value range myself and underpainting (or the lack of it in my case) seems to be a large part of the solution. For those more experienced artists, bear with me as I have had absolutely no artistic training (this Forum is my first and I am thoroughly enjoying it). Here are my questions:

1. Should underpainting always be used as the basis of oil portraits? I presume the next step would be to apply color to the underpainting - is this done in glazes, so that the values are retained, or pretty thickly once you have established the value range?

2. I noticed that Karin used a mixture of raw umber and titanium white. Are there certain underpainting colors that are particularly complementary of flesh tones? I have heard some artists mention green as a good undertone for skin.

3. Related to the above, is there a particular rule concerning the best color to use in an underpainting that will vivify the final coat if it is not flesh colored (e.g., a red hat )?

Administrator's Note: Karin's underpainting demo is here http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...=&threadid=794.

[Michael Georges]

Hello Clive: Welcome to our Forum!

Your questions about underpainting are good ones. The thing to know about underpainting is that there are many ways to do it and each way will affect the resulting painting in different ways. Thus, you can study different types of underpainting to achieve differing effects.

Underpainting is not absolutely necessary to oil painting and there are many artists who are accomplished enough to create alla prima with no underpainting.

Many artists, including myself, have done underpainting in monochrome values similar to a black and white photo. The monochrome painting method has been used throughout the ages as not only an underpaininting method, but also a teaching tool. As you have expressed yourself, correct values in painting are a large part of successful painting. Thereby, teachers have students do full paintings in monochrome to teach value and how to effectively create a 3d impression on a 2d surface. The most recognized monochrome painting styles are grisaille (French) and verdaccio (Italian). The grisaille is basically based on neutral or warmish gray tones. The verdaccio is based on cooler gray-green tones. Verdaccio as used in underpainting can really enhance skin tones to create high realism.

Others paint more directly - that is, they underpaint in the same colors they will use in the final painting. Generally, these painters tend to work from the very broad to the very specific and the first layers of paint laid down are their version of underpainting. Many tend to tone/neutralize the colors early on so they end up with an almost dead color rendering of the work as their underpainting.

Still others will underpaint with complement colors as they feel that it can give a vibrancy to the final work.

As you can see, you can spend many years studying differing types of underpainting and the effects they give. For now, since you are trying to learn about value as it relates to painting, I might suggest you try the monochrome underpainting method. Karin's demonstration is a great place to start.

I hope that helps.

[Michael Georges]

Odalisque in Grisaille, 1824

[Clive Fullagar]

Thanks Michael,

I am interested in the specifics of "Verdaccio" and I know you have posted something else about this on this site - so forgive the repetition. When you say gray-green monotones - what specific green are you referring to? Also, your message seems to imply that underpainting can be an end in itself (as in the Ingres piece) - but if you were going to go on and work the piece into a full-color work (as the name "underpainting" implies) how would you go about doing it? I do not know whether Karin worked her portrait of "Sarge" into a color piece, but if she did I would be interested in how she did it.

[Michael Georges]

The Verdaccio undertone I referred to is a gray-green mixture made with Chromium Oxide Green, Mars Black, and Lead White.

I typically mix equal parts of COG to Mars Black to get a value 2 (Munsell scale) - this is my base pile from which I mix all others. I then darken some of it with MB to create value 1, and lighten the rest with flake white to create values 3-9.

You can also experiment with Yellow Ochre, Mars Black, Red Ochre, and Lead White to create a variant. You would mix the YO and the MB to create a green, and use the RO to knock it down in intensity.

Here are the approximate values:

[Chris Saper]

Dear Clive,

Welcome!

As you begin this course of inquiry, I would recommend you search the Forum database for the rich resources presently here. You can do this just by clicking the "Search Messages" link at the top.

For example, go here http://forum.portraitartist.com/sear...der=descending to see the search results for grisaille, and here http://forum.portraitartist.com/sear...der=descending for verdaccio.

Best wishes!

[Michael Georges]

Clive: As to how to proceed with a painting using this technique, here (in general) is how I have painted using this method in the past.

The method was taught to me by Frank Covino, an excellent teacher.

The Cartoon
Covino uses a graphing system to get students to draw their forms to the board in charcoal - no graphite - graphite is slick, can leach through the paint, and is not recommended for drawing anything below a painted surface. Next, you do a complete charcoal rendering of your form on the board - establishing your complete value system and taking the cartoon to as much detail as you can. When complete, you spray the board with Damar Retouch Varnish to seal the charcoal a little and make the surface ready to receive your underpainting.

The Underpainting
Covino recommends the Verdaccio method for underpainting flesh. He also does the rub out method and grisalle, but only for advanced students. Covino's palette is a controlled palette based on nine values from dark to light. Thereby, he has you create nine values of Verdaccio using Flake White and Chromium Oxide Green (I have tubed these so I don't have to remix every time). He recommends mixing the verdaccio with 1/5th Liquin - again because of short workshop time and also because liquin dries rock hard permanent. You proceed with the underpainting by simply matching the values that you see in charcoal - if you rendered a cheek in value 7 in charcoal, then you simply paint over that cheek with value 7 verdaccio. Again, you do the underpainting to as fine a detail as you can as your underpainting will actually serve to define the form for some parts of your painting that you will glaze.

Color Stage
With the Verdaccio complete, Covino recommends beginning the color stage by glazing first and then applying opaque paint. Most backgrounds can be accomplished with one or more glazes over the detailed verdaccio underpainting. Covino's medium makes his glazing technique work - most mediums today are not suited to glazing. The medium is comprised of:

Damar Varnish
Stand Oil
Venice Turpentine
Rectified Turpentine

Once the glazes are completed, then you can go on applying more opaque paint to the areas of the painting that require it. He recommends "scrubbing your darks" and "painting your lights". The lighter the paint, the more heavily it is applied. He never recommends applying opaque paint over a fully dried glaze BTW. For flesh (no glaze on flesh - opaque only), he has a specific pallette that is mixed in several stages. First, you mix a row of nine value neutral grays, and to them, you add the color of the light (i.e., Zinc Yellow). You then mix a row of nine value oranges. By mixing the grays with the oranges, you get nine values of flesh tones. Some of the gray is saved out to gray certain areas like edges, etc. He also has you mix a row of blood tones. The blood tones are never used straight, but are mixed with some of the flesh tone of the same value to create a redder tone of flesh that is added to cheeks, tips of fingers, nose, etc. Again, you are just matching value to value between flesh and verdaccio. Put a value 4 flesh over a value 4 verdaccio. He recommends painting into a wet surface by lightly spraying medium over the area before you begin applying color. When the painting is done, he recommends one coat of medium over the entire thing (when dry enough as to not disturb the surface) to give it a uniform gloss. And of course, varnishing the painting with Damar Varnish after 8-12 months.

Summary
So that in a very small nutshell is a quick sketch of Mr. Covino's method. If any of you have an opportunity to meet him or take a class from him - let me plug his talent, his knowledge, and his ability. He is a master of our time (my opinion). He also admits that this is just "one" way of painting. When you consider that he is largely teaching an untrained pupil-base, the method is very effective and people who have never painted before in their lives come out of class with some pretty impressive first paintings. For the intermediate or professional artist, the value cannot be over expressed - RUN don't walk and get into a class, and get his book "Controlled Painting". Frank's website is www.portrait-art.com. The site is NOT impressive, but his work is.

Frank's method is a great place to "start" for anyone who is serious about making a real go at painting realistically. There is so much info, techniques, etc. that you could use his teachings as a very solid base to begin your own explorations from.

I have since modified many of the things I learned from Frank into a system that works well for me. I don't use his medium anymore as I have found better for my process. I am now exploring a direct method of more dead color underpainting I learned from William Whitaker - another Master painter of our time.

[Karin Wells]

1. Should underpainting always be used as the basis of oil portraits?

Heavens no! As Michael explained so well, there are many ways to paint. I like to use a grisaille underpainting in a portrait for any flesh that shows, i.e., hands, feet, etc.

I presume the next step would be to apply color to the underpainting - is this done in glazes, so that the values are retained, or pretty thickly once you have established the value range?

Glazes are never applied thickly. Glazes are transparent colors and these added layers will probably darken the value of what lies underneath. Only light (opaque colors) are to be painted thickly in the top layers.

2. I noticed that Karin used a mixture of raw umber and titanium white. Are there certain underpainting colors that are particularly complementary of flesh tones? I have heard some artists mention green as a good undertone for skin.

Once again, there are many ways to achieve flesh tones and Covino's method is classic.

I personally like to begin with a raw umber/white mixture that equals the value of the flesh, i.e., in a range from caucasian to a person of color. A thin glaze of one or more of the following will oftentimes nail a skin tone: burnt umber (try first), raw sienna, and/or raw umber.

If a glaze doesn't work, wipe it off and keep experimenting. I use either Liquin or Galkyd Lite as my medium for this. After the initial skin tone is glazed to be correct, the color and values are then matched with more opaque paint and scumbled in thin layers over the areas of flesh. This can result in a "porcelain like" look.

Prior to building an area of light with thick opaque paint, I like to apply a thin glaze to the surface to "juice it up" before I begin.

3. Related to the above, is there a particular rule concerning the best color to use in an underpainting that will vivify the final coat if it is not flesh colored (e.g., a red hat )?

I am not sure that I understand this question.

Michael has done a really excellent job of explaining underpainting methods. I suggest that you experiment a little and see what works for you. There is a book out called "How to Paint Like the Old Masters" by Joseph Sheppard. So far it is the best that I have found. (However, I intend to check out Frank Covino's book as it sounds wonderful - thank you Michael.)

Chris Saper's book, "Skin Tones" is out now and I have found it to be most useful.