Grande Odalisque in Grisaille, 1814 (Musée du Louvre, Paris),

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and workshop

​

​

This technique involves several steps. First, a toned canvas sets the stage for your work. That means painting the canvas with a neutral mid-tone, so it’s no longer white. Next, you draw the subject. Then you start adding medium shades of grey to create shadows. You can either layer your lighter areas first or you can block in darker areas - every artist has their own approach. Regardless of your method, this step is about gradually adding more detail and building up your darkest and lightest tints. The effect can be quite stunning in and of itself, or you can choose to use your Grisaille as an underpainting and then layer colors over it to create your final work.

​

Grisaille has several benefits. It can be cost-effective as you’re only using shades of one color. It helps with painting over in color; you can use grey tints and shades that can be easily worked over. In addition, one has to focus only on light and shade without thinking about color, making the painting process a bit less complex and arduous. A Grisaille may be executed for its own sake, as an underpainting for an oil painting (in preparation for glazing layers of color over it), or as a model for an engraver to work from. 

​

The Trekell Art Company offers an array of paints, canvases, and panels with which you can create your Grisaille art. While the technique is most often used in oil painting and acrylic painting, it can also be done in watercolors. 

The Grisaille approach is a great launching point for artists who mainly work in pencil and want to try oil painting. 

​

You can choose to do a Portrait or Still Life during the Workshop