Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Grisaille with Warm Underpainting

I painted this creamer yesterday while waiting for my scrambled eggs. 
Creamer, gouache 3 x 3 inches
It's in black and white gouache, painted over a yellow-ochre square patch that served as an underpainting. I allowed the underpainting to shine through here and there. I painted that patch a few weeks ago. 

Sometimes it's nice to use paint that gives you a sealed or closed surface (that is, it won't reactivate if it gets rewet). On the lower left corner, I rubbed off the gouache paint with a damp rag to reveal the underpainting. 

I could have used acrylic or acryla gouache for the underpainting, but in this case, I used casein for the yellow square. 



Here's a very brief video with the voice of the diner's owner. If you're getting this post by email, you might need to follow this link to see the video.
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Related previous posts:
Creamer in Casein
Transparency and Reflections (Creamer in Gouache)
Still Life in a Diner Booth
Nearly-Notan Gouache with Yellow Underpainting (VW Deakership)

5 comments:

Lester Yocum said...

James, I just got a job for a large distributor requiring quick turnaround commercial art. While I specialize in oil painting I've been considering switching to gouache for its speed, opacity, health factors, water solubility, portability, and brilliant colors. Your blog has influenced that decision and your link to the Holbein set in today's post sealed it. I ordered the set. I haven't used gouache since college; time to dust off my skills. Thank you much for all you've done for me over the years. If you ever doubt your influence or value in the community, don't.

James Gurney said...

Thanks, Lester, and all the best with this new project and with your gouache experiments.

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Loretta said...

Is the acryla gouache basically acrylic?
Loretta

James Gurney said...

Loretta, yes, it's really an opaque matte acrylic.