Underpainting is a fundamental technique in oil painting that can greatly enhance the depth, richness, and luminosity of the final artwork.
Here are Art4Heart’s 20 tips and ideas on underpainting techniques for oil paint artists, including some lesser-known ones:
1. Choose the right colour:
Select a colour for the underpainting that complements the final colour scheme of your painting.
2. Use a thinned paint:
Dilute your oil paint with turpentine or a painting medium to create a thin, transparent layer for the underpainting.
3. Plan your composition:
Sketch out your composition before starting the underpainting to establish the values and placement of major elements.
4. Consider tonal values:
Focus on creating a strong contrast between light and dark areas in the underpainting to establish a solid foundation for the subsequent layers.
5. Experiment with different techniques:
Try various underpainting techniques such as washes, scumbling, or glazing to achieve different effects.
6. Utilize complementary colours:
Use complementary colours in the underpainting to create dynamic colour relationships and increase vibrancy in the final painting.
7. Incorporate texture:
Build up texture in the underpainting by using techniques like impasto or sgraffito to add interest and depth to the surface.
8. Let it dry completely:
Allow each layer of the underpainting to dry thoroughly before applying subsequent layers to prevent mixing and muddying of colours.
9. Use a limited palette:
Limit the number of colours in your underpainting to maintain harmony and avoid overwhelming the final painting with too many hues.
10. Work from general to specific:
Begin with broad, gestural strokes in the underpainting and gradually refine details as you progress to the subsequent layers.
11. Experiment with temperature:
Explore warm and cool variations of your chosen colour in the underpainting to create visual interest and depth.
12. Create an underpainting ground:
Consider applying a coloured ground to your canvas before starting the underpainting to establish a unified colour harmony throughout the painting.
13. Use a monochromatic underpainting
Experiment with a monochromatic underpainting in a single colour to establish values and focus on tonal relationships before adding colour.
14. Incorporate underpainting for colour harmony:
Use complementary or harmonious colours in the underpainting to establish a cohesive colour scheme that ties the painting together.
15. Utilize underpainting for luminosity:
Create a transparent underpainting to allow light to pass through subsequent layers, enhancing the luminosity and depth of the final painting.
16. Employ underpainting for texture:
Build up layers of texture in the underpainting to create interesting surface effects that will interact with subsequent layers of paint.
17. Consider using a toned ground:
Apply a toned ground to your canvas before starting the underpainting to establish a warm or cool undertone that will subtly influence the colours in the painting.
18. Experiment with different tools:
Explore using unconventional tools like sponges, palette knives, or even your fingers to apply the underpainting and create unique textures and effects.
19. Blend with a soft brush:
Use a soft brush to blend and soften edges in the underpainting, creating smooth transitions between colours and shapes.
20. Don’t be afraid to scrape back:
If you want to create interesting textures, don’t be afraid to scrape back layers of the underpainting to reveal underlying colours and add depth. Scraping back layers of the underpainting can indeed reveal underlying colours, create interesting textures, and add depth to the painting.
