Grisaille is a monochromatic painting technique that uses a severely limited palette to create a powerful visual effect. The term itself originates from the French word gris, meaning “gray,” and the technique is executed entirely in shades of gray, black, and white. This method allows the artist to focus exclusively on light and shadow, which is the foundation for creating the illusion of three-dimensional form on a flat surface. The resulting artwork often mimics the appearance of a stone sculpture, a marble relief, or an antique drawing.
The Core Technique: Focusing on Value
Tonal value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color, and it is the most important element for modeling form and creating depth in a painting. Grisaille separates the complex task of managing color from establishing tonal value. By removing the distraction of hue, the artist concentrates on the precise relationship between light and shadow, a concept known as chiaroscuro.
This technique is employed in two distinct ways within the history of painting. It is frequently used as a finished work, where the monochrome effect is deliberately chosen to create a trompe-l’œil illusion. For example, 15th-century Flemish painters often used grisaille on the exterior panels of altarpieces, such as the Ghent Altarpiece, to make the painted figures appear as if they were carved stone statues.
The second application is as an underpainting, which serves as a foundational layer for a final, full-color piece. This underpainting establishes the entire light and shadow structure of the composition before any color is introduced. By perfecting the form and depth in grayscale, the artist ensures the final colored layers will possess a robust, three-dimensional quality.
A Practical Guide to Painting in Grisaille
Painting a grisaille underpainting begins with preparing a value scale using only black and white paint. Artists commonly mix a nine-step scale, creating seven distinct shades of gray between pure black and pure white. This ensures the visual contrast between adjacent steps is equal, training the eye to perceive subtle tonal shifts.
Once the value scale is established, the artist applies the opaque gray paint to the canvas to model the subject’s form. It is typical to begin by blocking in the darkest shadow areas first, using the deepest grays to anchor the composition’s structure. Mid-tones are then built up in layers, with the artist gradually blending the edges to suggest the smooth curvature of a three-dimensional object.
The final stage of the monochromatic layer involves applying the lightest grays and pure white to define the highlights and catchlights. This opaque layer, once fully dry, is the “closed grisaille” and represents the complete tonal map of the final painting. The subsequent step, if the work is to be colored, is the application of glazes.
Glazing involves mixing transparent oil paint with a medium, such as linseed or alkyd medium, and applying it in thin, translucent layers over the dry grisaille. The established value of the opaque gray underpainting shines through these transparent color layers. This technique allows the color to be “mixed” optically by the viewer’s eye, resulting in luminous, deep color that retains the form modeled by the grayscale foundation.
Grisaille in Other Mediums and Colors
While grisaille traditionally refers to gray monochrome, the underlying principle extends to other color variations. Verdaccio is an Italian technique using a greenish-gray mixture, often created with black, white, and yellow ocher. This cool underpainting was favored for rendering flesh tones, as the green complements the warm, reddish hues of the skin, making the final color layers appear more vibrant.
Another variation is Brunaille, which utilizes shades of brown, such as umber or sepia, to create a warm, monochromatic effect. The grisaille concept is also applied in non-painting mediums, such as stained glass, where a gray vitreous pigment is used to paint fine details and shadows onto the glass without introducing color.