The Old Masters’ Technique of Grisaille
Mendocino College
Instructor: Lorraine Brady Arthur
A common technique that was used from the early 1400’s, Renaissance period, is a process of painting (7) multiple layers of paint. The first layers began the process of establishing a paintings “values”, so color was not applied at this stage. This technique became known as the grisaille technique. The grisaille technique, which is pronounced of grizz-eye, is French for gray. As the industrial revolution brought along many changes to society, by the mid 1800’s, the development of both new pigments and tubes for paint came along that completely changed the way artists worked. Eventually the Impressionists, as they strayed out doors to paint by exploring light first hand, abandoned this method of working.
The grisaille method has a unique twist by about everyone that used it. Some artists used only shades of gray, others used shades of brown, even green or earthy reds. Some used no white, while other used white.
Today, many artists work in this method because of the rich luminous affect that can be achieved or perhaps out of “academic pride”. Many art schools that strayed from teaching academic processes for much of the 20th century have today come full circle in teaching their students the historical process of grisaille painting.
At the very least, the student learns the importance of developing accurate value representation in their chosen subject. The success of a painting needs a proper portrayal of the values of it’s subject to express light and form; space and dimension.
For this first assignment, you may choose to paint a still life subject of your own choosing OR to copy a painting of an old master that used the grisaille technique. I want you to do your own research on the artist, and what palette they used in their paintings. The internet provides an abundance of information regarding many of the more famous painters of that time, such as: Rembrandt, Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio, and many others.
Here are some links to get you started:
http://artpapa.net/content/view/27/53/
http://painting.about.com/od/oldmastertechniques/a/LeonardodaVinci.htm
http://painting.about.com/od/oilpainting/a/Glazing_Tips.htm
http://www.gamblincolors.com/oil.painting.techniques/palettes.old.masters.html
You should also start Assignment 2 during this time, since some layers of paint may not require a whole class for you to work on them.
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