Power of the Underpainting

Through a series of projects, and working from a live model, students will become familiar with creating an underpainting using a wipe out technique. They will begin to learn how setting up the painting in this way allows the artist to freely adjust the drawing and composition, whilst rapidly establishing tonality, form and temperature in the initial stages. 

The students will then begin to introduce color through a range of glazes and direct painting techniques, witnessing how the underpainting assists the process and energizes the final painting. In addition to the practical component, we will also discuss the importance of the underpainting in art history and how this can be useful in contemporary representational work.

Materials

Oil Colours
I recommend Gamblin for the best quality at the most reasonable price.
I do not recommend Student Grade Oils! They are more difficult to work with!

Unique/ required colors:-

1) Transparent Oxide Red-  (colour used for the underpainting)(Brand: Michael Harding) need first day of class.
2) Van Dyke Brown (or a similar transparent brown) need first day of class.
3) Titanium White  (I use: Brand: Gamblin)
4) lead white or lead white replacement. (Brand Rublev lead white -available at Soho Art materials) (later in the semester)
5) Titanium Buff (Brand: Gamblin)
6) Gold Ochre (Brand: Gamblin)
7) Cadmium Yellow Light (Brand: Gamblin)
8) Cadimum Red Medium   (Brand: Gamblin)
9) Alizarin Crimson    (Brand: Gamblin)
10) Ultramarine Blue    (Brand: Gamblin)
11) Phthalo Green    (Brand: Gamblin)
12) Sepia Extra (Brand: Old Holland)

Extra/Optional colours:

• Vermillion Hue 
• Violet Grey (Brand: Old Holland)
• Ivory Black (Brand: Gamblin)

Surface

Always use a primed surface whether its

canvas, linen, wooden panel, etc.

If surface is un-primed, prime with Acrylic Gesso or Winsor & Newton Oil Primer. The best surface is medium tooth canvas/ linen primed with gesso then two layers of Oil Primer

1) I recommend an assortment of preprimed

canvases or : Fredrix Canvas Pad sheets (any size you’re comfortable with eg. 10 x 14”)

small jar to mix medium in  

Linseed Oil - Any brand will do!

Low Odour Mineral Spirit
Gamsol (Brand Gamblin)

Rags

• Scott Shop Towels- nothing else is as good! Can buy from ACE hardware-less than a block from Academy Pointed Q tips are helpful too!

Brushes

• A variety of brushes in a few different sizes (mainly bristle some synthetic)
• One wider brush for laying down underpainting color is helpful 

Palette

• A glass palette is best- e.g. the smooth side of a glass chopping board
• A wooden palette 
• A plastic palette (battleship gray)
• Or, paper palette sheets (Brand: Grey Matters)