Grisaille, a painting technique that uses shades of grey or neutral colours, has been used for centuries to create the illusion of sculpture. This art media is often found in large decorative schemes and can be executed as an underpainting for oil paintings or as a model for engravers.
Grisaille Art Media
Grisaille, a painting technique that uses shades of grey or neutral colours, has been used for centuries to create the illusion of sculpture. This art media is often found in large decorative schemes and can be executed as an underpainting for oil paintings or as a model for engravers.
History
The use of grisaille dates back to the early 14th century, with Giotto using it in the lower registers of his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. In the Low Countries, a continuous tradition of grisaille paintings can be traced from Early Netherlandish painting to Pieter Brueghel the Elder and Hendrik Goltzius. Portions of the ceiling frescoes of the Sistine Chapel are also grisaille.
Technique
Grisaille paintings are executed using a limited colour range, often in monochrome or with slightly wider shades of grey. The technique can be used for its own sake, as an underpainting for oil paintings, or as a model for engravers. It is often chosen for its speed and cost-effectiveness, although the effect is sometimes deliberately chosen for aesthetic reasons.
Examples
One of the most famous examples of grisaille is The Last Judgment by Hieronymus Bosch, which features grisaille on the outside of the shutters panel. Pablo Picasso's painting Guernica (1937) also uses grisaille to create a powerful and emotional impact.
Modern Adaptations
In miniature painting, two modern adaptations of grisaille are used: Slop Chop or Slap Chop and Zenithal Priming/Highlighting. Both techniques use contrast/speed paints to create the effect of natural shadows to scale.
The Last Judgment (Bosch, Vienna)List of art techniquesGrisaille [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grisaille]The Last Judgment (Bosch, Vienna) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Judgment_(Bosch,_Vienna)]