How to paint a grisaille painting, The Power of Layering and Value

How to paint a grisaille painting using Tusc & Pine Oils Grey Set. Resident artist Michaela Westra at Jerry’s takes you through the process and goes into how to paint a grisaille painting.
See article, images and full length video below

What exactly is a grisaille painting?

Some people either do not know what it means or it feels like a scary word, but it’s really just a gray underpainting (just a fancy word), traditionally, historical artists would use this to create very luminous portraits and very luminous paintings.

Grisaille comes from the French word gris, meaning “gray”

For a more defined explanation, Grisaille painting is a technique in which an artwork is created entirely in shades of gray (or sometimes brown) to mimic the look of sculpture or to serve as an underpainting for later color layers. The word grisaille comes from the French word gris, meaning “gray.”

Artists would create a completely gray scale painting of exactly what they want their finished piece to look like. Let that dry and then glaze over it with very transparent color to have a very nice layering effect, so they can worry about just value and then separately just color. It’s a very fun technique and it creates absolutely beautiful work.

Using the curated and developed Tusc & Pine Oil Paint Grays Starter Set of 5, 40ml Tubes: Lets take a look at the color selections in this set and what you need to start your grisaille painting. Inside this we have a titanium white in safflower oil, a neutral gray seven, a neutral gray five, a neutral gray three, and a lamp black.

Michaela states from the video: “So I’m going to go ahead and squeeze these out onto my palette and we can take a closer look. So I have all five of these paints on my palette now. As you can see, this titanium white is very bright and that is because it is made with safflower oil, which doesn’t yellow as much as other oils.”

The four other colors on my palette (a neutral gray seven, a neutral gray five, a neutral gray three, and a lamp black) are made with the very classic linseed oil. It is important to note that these colors have a very strong presence in this set. The white is going to be a very bright white. The black, which is a lamp black is going to be a very strong, very pigmented black and it also has another use which we will get into later. All three of these grays are going to be a neutral gray, so you have a very base tone gray to work with if you were using these for your paintings.

Join artist Michaela Westra as she demonstrates a classic grisaille painting using Tusc & Pine’s Grays Starter Set, showcasing how to create balanced value gradations and tonal studies.

Starting your Grisaille Painting

In order to start your grisaille painting, there are a couple things to do to prepare before you jump into the actual painting. The first thing is, traditionally you would make separate piles of gray by mixing different amounts of white and black.

To extend that value scale a little bit in order to have something in between a lightest gray and a white, as well as another gray in between the darkest gray and black. Mix some values in between the grays that we already have. Take a little bit of my neutral gray seven and titanium white and mix those together.

Referenced from photo above
Notice how the paint exhibits a remarkably strong tinting strength across all colors. In the demonstration, a 50/50 split was applied, yet the resulting shade remained darker than anticipated. To achieve a lighter tone, a smaller amount of paint will be used. Additionally, you can add to a little bit more white to your swatch gradient grabbing the mixture creating a really nice value that reaches between this titanium white and that neutral gray.

Doing the same thing on the other end using the darker blacks: This neutral gray sits between a balanced tone and a deep, cool black. The black is one of the strongest shades in the Tuscan Pine line, requiring only a minimal amount for mixing. Even a small amount may be too much, but the goal is to achieve a darker gray. By blending the darkest gray with this black, the result is a cooler, deep gray that can be integrated into a value scale.

A well-structured value scale typically ranges from five to seven shades, providing a good spectrum of grays. Before beginning the actual grisaille painting, there is one more notable feature of this gray set worth highlighting—its unique relationship to the grisaille technique. The presence of a cool black within the set further enhances its versatility in monochromatic painting.

Now that we have a very cool black, if you use this you can create your own grays using the titanium white. In the photo and video you can you see you have some really nice neutral grays, but if you want a cooler toned gray scale for grisaille, you have that within this set of five colors.

The reason you create different temperatures of grays as a grisaille is because grisailles are going to be what is underneath your glazing layer.

You can start with your whites or your blacks or somewhere in between.

The middle values are going to be the hardest for me to find. Its best to start with my bright whites and my darks so you can find those in-betweens a lot easier. Starting with the whites since this technique is very layered, if you work with these grays transparently and then you also work with those transparent glazes, you have a lot of layers that are allowing to peek through and it creates a lot more depth and a lot more luminosity.

Mastering the Balance Between Neutral and Cool Grays in Grisaille Painting

Grisaille painting relies on the careful use of values to create depth and structure before applying color glazes. One key aspect of this technique is understanding the difference between neutral and cool grays and how they affect the final result. By carefully mixing and selecting grays, artists can control the temperature and tonal balance of their underpainting for a more refined and dynamic finish.

Creating a Versatile Gray Scale

To develop a strong value scale for grisaille painting, it’s important to mix a range of grays. A well-balanced scale typically includes five to seven distinct values, allowing for smooth transitions between light and dark.

Here’s how to build an effective grayscale:

• Start with a cool black as the base.
• Gradually mix in titanium white to create lighter shades.
• Adjust the mixture for cool or neutral tones depending on the desired effect.
• Test the grayscale by painting small swatches to see how they interact.
• Maintain a consistent value structure to ensure seamless blending when applying color glazes later.

Having control over gray temperatures enhances the depth and realism of a painting. Whether opting for a cool-toned or neutral grisaille, understanding the impact of these choices helps artists achieve greater precision and subtlety in their work. With the right balance of values, grisaille becomes a powerful tool for bringing depth, contrast, and dimension to any painting.

The Final Stages of a Grisaille Painting

As the final layers of the grisaille come together, it’s important to focus on the details that bring the painting to life.

Key Considerations in the Final Layers:

• Refining the value scale to ensure smooth transitions between light and dark.
• Adjusting the form and structure to capture realism as accurately as possible.
• Adding finishing touches to eliminate any unintended gaps or inconsistencies.
• Considering background elements—deciding whether to leave exposed areas or cover them entirely for a more uniform look.

At this stage, the interaction between paint layers and transparency becomes more apparent. By layering grays transparently and then applying transparent glazes, the painting develops rich depth and luminosity that wouldn’t be possible with opaque applications alone.

The Impact of Underpainting on Final Color

Once color glazes are introduced, the underlying grisaille continues to influence the overall painting. The tone of the underpainting affects the temperature, vibrancy, and feel of the final piece.

How Underpainting Affects the Final Image:

• Warm underpaintings can make grays feel softer and more colorful.
• Cooler grays create a subtle, moody depth in shadowed areas.
• Vibrant underpaintings (such as magenta or fluorescent pink) can create unexpected warmth and energy in the final work.
• Different canvas tones affect the way light interacts with paint layers, altering the final perception of color and depth.

Why Grisaille is Essential for Artists

No matter what you’re painting, the foundation of values and tones plays a critical role in the final result. Grisaille is an excellent technique for both beginners and advanced painters, allowing for greater control over depth, realism, and color interaction.

The Tuscan Pine gray set provides an ideal range of grays for achieving precise values and developing stunning, layered artwork. With careful layering, thoughtful glazing, and attention to temperature shifts, this technique will become a valuable tool in any artist’s studio.

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More Resources

• How Real Oil Paint Was Made
• Synthetic vs. Natural Brushes for Oil Painting
• Painting with Linseed Oil: What you need to know
• What is Underpainting in Oil Painting?