Staining your canvas . . . what do you use

[Richard Budig]

What do you use for staining your canvas before you begin to paint . . . warm colors or cool colors.

I ask because I'm always torn -- not whether to stain -- but what to use.

Chris Saper says in her book that she uses a green earth. Bill Whittaker uses a mix of raw umber and ultramarine blue. John Howard Sanden seems to start on a white, untoned canvas. I've seen Daniel E. Greene use several tones, one being a mix of mostly ivory black and Prussian blue, and the other a warmish raw umber sort of thing.

And, what do you think this does for the way you approach, or do your painting. I mean, I've heard that the initial tone you put on your canvas has "an enormous effect on your portrait," according to Dan Greene.

I would like to hear your thoughts.

[Michele Rushworth]

I work on white canvas. I work thinly and many parts of my canvas have just one layer on them, especially the face. I don't want a toned ground affecting the colors I lay down, or showing through more in later years as the paint becomes more transparent over time.

[Claudemir Bonfim]

I tone my canvasses according to the completion of my client.
I'm testing now Nelson Shanks' hints on preparing the canvasses for the portrait, I'm using a coat of acrylic paint before applying the oils.
visit http://www.studioincamminati.org/ see the supply list. It's being an interesting experience. But I also like the ultramarine mixed with raw umber.

[Chris Saper]

I have also used a raw umber wash or a transparent black wash, which I learned from Bill Whitaker.

I like the cool gray tone for subjects lit with a cool north light (or equivalent). I prefer not to work on white canvas because it is too difficult for me to judge values against the white ground.

Although I generally use a wash made from OMS, for slicker surfaces(e.g., New Traditions L-600 which is REALLY smooth, or ABS plastic) I thin the paint with www.studioproducts.com Underpainting medium. It dries very quickly and leaves a matte, slightly toothy surface so the first coat of paint I apply sticks more easily.

[Alexandra Tyng]

For toning the canvas, I use a mixture of ivory black, burnt umber and white. And lots of solvent. First I brush it on, then I take a paper towel and wipe it on with circular strokes to even out the surface. Even with the white it still dries fast, and the addition of white gives it a slightly smoother surface (though matte) that makes the paint glide on.

Sometimes I vary the color, mixing ultramarine blue and burnt umber, or ultramarine and burnt sienna. Sometimes I use complementary colors mixed with some white. My goal is to make a neutral color that is equivalent to a light midtone.

And sometimes I'm in such a rush of excitement to get started that I don't tone the canvas! In the end, I can't tell the difference!

Alex

[Michele Rushworth]

Although I enjoy working on a toned surface I'm concerned how my paintings would look in years to come when the paint has become more transparent. I wouldn't want them to lose whatever color and brightness they have because the toned ground started to influence the upper colors more, especially in thinly painted areas with only one or two layers, like the face. Because of that concern I now work on a white canvas. Is this something you wonder about also?