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Demo 002

Grisaille to Finished Oil

Click on an image below to continue through the different steps…

Step 1

This painting is a narrative depiction from the Book of Luke where Christ teaches the parable of the good Samaratan. Research has been done on the scriptural account to ascertain location, mood, and figures shown. It is also important to consider value placement, lighting, color, props, compositional elements, and gestures of the different figures.

All of these considerations have been worked out in a black-and-white value sketch and a maquette or color study before the final painting is started.

The final painting (Figure 1) is much larger than the studies and is begun with an underpainting (Figure 2,3) in grasaille or monocrhromatic washes of burnt umber.

Grisaille is a method of painting that uses shades of gray to establish the main tones and shades of a paintaing. Grisaille is typically a dark umber/earth tone hue worked in different opacities to achieve the intended result.

Grisaille comes from the mid-19th century from the French word “gris” meaning “gray.”

Figure 1: The final painting

Figure 1: The final painting

Figure 2: Underpainting

Figure 3: Underpainting

Figures 2, 3: Underpainting