This little 8"x8" on canvas panel started out as a demo. Demonstrating a traditional painting technique of starting with a grisaille, and explaining the benefits of that approach. It sat for quite a while as a grisaille and a few brush marks and I decided to finish it. Was pretty happy with the result.
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Another hit Mark!!! Beautifully done!
Do you by chance have an image of the grisaille stage??? I’d love to see it if you do. 
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I went relatively detailed for a grisaille just for shits & giggles. I use Old Holland Raw Umber (in my opinion the only brand for Raw Umber) and bits of Titanium Zinc White. First toning the panel with Raw Umber. I usually leave lots of time for the white to dry while I contemplate any changes before painting. Then it’s mostly direct painting with bits of indirect thrown in at the end. On my other pieces that I posted I’ve been priming the panel with a mid-tone grey, drawing on that then filling it in much as you do (Anthony).
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SOOOOOO awesome Mark!!! I did a few works and studies in college and art school that included a process utilizing a grisaille but it always seemed like a lot of extra work. As such I kinda bailed on it relatively quick. In any case—you’re definitely rocking the process here!!!
Fantastic—and thank you again for sharing!!!
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I don’t normally do grisaille anymore. However if I’m teaching I find it a great way for someone to learn. Especially dealing with value within colour. And ya, it’s totally extra work that I’m not keen on. I think Tony Curanaj (spelling?) and James Hollingsworth use grisaille still. Working great for them. They’re a lot faster than me 
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So nice, love seeing the process shots.
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Thank you for posting these grisaille pics. They are fascinating and really beautiful. I need to look up what direct and indirect painting is. I thinking it might be the same as painting positive and negative shapes? But then again, I’m probably incorrect. I’ll see if I can find anything online.
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Hi Anne. Thanks for your comments. Indirect is a technique from long long ago that you’d see in the Dutch and Italian painters mainly (pre impressionism of course). It’s a complicated thing to explain as there’s many different techniques and reasons for painting that way. I generally don’t do it anymore but it’s a great way for people learning as it helps a lot with composition, value and developing of detail. In general the darks are glazed and the lights are painted more opaque. Direct painting is kind of a ‘filling it in as you go’ technique. And I think a lot of modern realists use a type of hybrid technique using a building up of colour and detail by ‘colour blocking’ so a quicker layer with less detail, less accurate colour and working out any potential visual questions with colour, value and composition. It usually creates a great base to do a detailed pass on.
Thanks Mark for taking the time to reply to me. I really appreciate your response as I have so much to learn. I looked up Indirect painting and found a few exercises so am going to play around with it. I look forward to see what you post next. It’s great to be able to see process and get some food for thought and action on the canvas. Thanks again for helping me in my journey to get to the next level (which is way below where you are at!!!).
Anne
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