LESSON 5

Colouring over grisaille

It’s time for part two of working with grisailles. In this segment, we will teach you how to add colour over the grey underpainting to make your painting truly realistic. It’s time to fully experience the benefits of working on a grisaille.

With the grey underpainting, we have already established the tonal values. While we still need to focus on these values when mixing colours, you will find it easier as you are doing it for the second time. Furthermore, the grey base layer provides a strong foundation for the values. So, even if the tonal value of your colour is slightly off, the grey base layer will help guide it in the right direction.

Essential materials

  • Acrylic paint in lamp black (702) and titanium white (105), Acrylic paint in lamp black and titanium white, azo yellow light (268), pyrolle red (315), ultramarine blue (512), burnt umber (409), primary magenta (369), primary cyan (512) or phthalo blue (570)
  • Different brushes
  • Acrylic paper, canvas or canvas board
  • Pencil
  • Palette
  • Palette knife
  • Water bucket
  • Paper towel

Let's get started

It’s time to bring your painting to life with colour! Toon will guide you through each step, demonstrating the correct techniques for adding vibrant hues over your greyscale underpainting. Simply watch the video for detailed instructions, and let’s add colour to your artwork together!

Watch the other lessons