How to Color a Black & White Painting

Add color to a black-and-white painting with glazing and scumbling techniques.

Color can be added to a black and white painting through methods of glazing and scumbling. These techniques involve the application of transparent layers of color paint, either diluted in medium for glazing or dry and thick for scumbling. Many artists paint in black and white as an early stage, or underpainting, before adding color to their work, in order to divide the labor of creating a realistic image. This black and white underpainting is also known as a grisaille. It allows the artist to initially concentrate on drawing quality and values before building color. Glazing and scumbling techniques work for both oil and acrylic paints and can be applied to any black-and-white painting of a similar medium that has not been sealed with varnish.

Things You'll Need

• Tack cloth
• Transparent paint colors
• Palette
• Soft brushes, sable or synthetic
• Glazing medium
• Paper towels
• Stiff brushes, bristle or synthetic

Instructions

1. Clean the surface of the painting using a tack cloth. Dirt and dust on the painting surface will cause bumps and uneven texture in your color layers.

2. Choose transparent color paints that most accurately represent the base hues of the objects in the painting. Arrange these colors on your palette with room between them for mixing.

3. Load a soft-bristled brush with painting medium and dip it into the first color to be applied to the painting. Mix the medium vigorously into the paint to ensure even pigment dispersion.

4. Apply the first color to the painting using your medium-loaded brush. The paint should be thin enough to only tint the image, allowing the original details and values to show though. Cover all areas of the painting matching this base hue and remove excess paint with a dry paper towel.

5. Apply the next base color using a clean brush. Do this with every color until the entire painting surface is covered. Soften edges between colors using a clean brush, paper towel or your fingers.

6. Allow the first layer of color to dry completely before repeating the glazing procedure. With each successive layer of glazed paint, adjust colors; begin to deepen shadows and add detail as necessary.

7. Scumble paint directly onto the painting surface using a stiff bristle or synthetic brush only after all glazed layers have been applied. Scumbling should be reserved for strengthening highlights, indicating glare from light sources and completing final detail work.

Tips & Warnings

• Many glazing mediums are available from art supply stores. For oil painting, they are typically prepared form alkyd resins known for their quick drying time and high gloss. Always ensure a glazing medium is appropriate for the type of paint you are using, oil or acrylic.

• Do not attempt to add color to a painting that has been varnished unless all of the varnish has been removed. Color glazes will not adhere properly to a varnished surface.

• For acrylic glazing, a gel medium may be useful to slow drying time to keep glazes workable for an extended amount of time.

• A traditional glazing medium for oil paint can be prepared from one ounce stand oil, one ounce damar varnish, five ounces turpentine, and 15 drops of cobalt dryer.

• A glass palette is recommended for glazing colors as their true hues can be most accurately evaluated.

References

• "Radiant Oils: Glazing Techniques for Paintings that Glow"; Arleta Pech; 2010
• "The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques"; Ralph Mayer; 1991
• Jess Bates: Oil Painting Tutorial, Glazing and Scumbling
• "The Complete Oil Painting Course"; Jean Wetherburn; 1986
• "The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist"; Bill Creevy; 1999
• Art Studio Chalkboard: Manipulation of the Painting Surface (Impasto/Glazes)