How to Choose Underpaint Colors for Oil Paintings

Underpainting adds mood and tone to your work.

Underpaint helps your oil paints stick more readily to a canvas and can enhance the way your colors appear on the canvas. Depending on the mood or nature of the painting you are trying to create, the right underpaint color can have a large impact on whether you successfully convey that emotion. Choosing the perfect underpaint will not escalate your painting skills beyond your current abilities, but will have a positive effect on the outcome of your next painting project.

Instructions

1. Think about the overall mood you would like to create. Warm tones in your underpaint help to create warm, jovial moods, while cool tones create somber moods.

2. Consider the way in which your underpaint will interact with the final colors in your painting. A black underpaint, for example, will help you develop harsh shadows and extreme color contrast. A softer tone will give your painting a softer look.

3. Determine whether you will leave the underpaint visible or cover it completely with paint. Underpaint can be left on the canvas to represent vague background details, such as a sky or a field of grass. You can also paint over it entirely, depending on your final goals.

4. Focus on using underpaint to further express the climate of a painting. A yellow underpaint, for instance, makes your painting look hot and dry. Greens look more cool and moist.

5. Imagine how your painting would look if you only painted it in one color. The color you imagine is likely the best candidate for a monochrome underpainting.

References

• Jess Bates: Oil Painting - Underpainting Tutorial
• Springfield Colorado: Tips on Underpainting