Why Use Toned Grounds Like Artists . . . by Anna Meenaghan
Before you actually start to paint you may find that it an asset to lay a colour on your surface. This usually goes to improve your work personalises it.
Shop bought canvasses are often a very brilliant white. Whatever you seal your painting board probably is too whether you use gesso or prhymers. However you may find it an advantage to cover your painting board with a wash of colour or even a neutral tone.
If you go ahead paint on the white it may slightly distort your work by making your colours look very dark the finished result may appear a lot lighter than you envisaged.
To use dark light shading in your work it therefore better to use a wash of a medium shade or a neutral colour.
As I may have said in previous articles if you have glints of the undertone peeping through it can be a quite important link for colours in your picture.
So what should you choose for a tone The answer I would have to say would be whatever you are comfortable with. Probably most subjects I would say look better painted on a neutral colour or subdued shade.
The colours of your subject do not want to be taken over as it were by the ground so care is needed. If for instance you were painting fruit like oranges lemons or bananas which are all bright in colour why not use a purple for the ground.
How do you apply the tone If you have a board or canvas that is not already prhymed you could add a small amount of acrylic paint to the gesso or prhymer to lay a tone.
Many of the canvasses available in the shops are already prhymed however to set the tone of your work you can still add an acrylic paint coating. Apply the toned prhymer to your canvas by either using a broad artists brush or an ordinary household brush.
If you want a surface that is opaque mix the acrylic with gesso or acrylic prhymer. Apply at least two coats to create dense flat colour.
You may end up with an uneven appearance to your work if you use acrylic on its own. With acrylics they do not all have the same amount of translucency so you often end up with brush marks. I personally think this adds to the painting.
However acrylic will not go on an oil based prhymer yet you can use oils on acrylic boarding. So really the message is use acrylic prhymer or acrylic gesso for oils or acrylics
The author of this article artist Anna Meenaghan creates all kinds of canvas art with abstract paintings being by far her most favourite genre of art. For more guides about art you are welcome to visit her internet art community where artists art lovers now have a popular interactive meeting place. Why Use Toned Grounds Like Artists . . .
