THE GRISAILLE AND GLAZES TECHNIQUE
Many masters of antiquity painted the oil paintings initially all in black and white, as a grisaille, and all the colors where added after with transparent veils, layer upon layer, achieving an interesting color vibration, letting the previous layers transparent and obtaining a volume effect and soft gradient. The Gioconda has been shown to have more than 30 layers, almost all glazes. After using this technique in many of my paintings, I thought of using a black-and-white photograph that would act as grisaille and paint with oil on it. I finally unite my two passions, the interesting perfection of photography and the infinite chromaticism of painting.
THE TECHNIQUE ITSELF
After working with the photography composition in the computer, I print it on canvas in black and white with mineral pigments, with the best quality printer you can find in the world. Then, back in my studio, I do the transparent resin preparation on the canvas with a painting knife, getting a very special texture that gives a unique tridimensional shape. Generally it takes several hours to have the finest texture the painting needs. When it dries, I start with the real wonderful experience that it is to give the colours the painting is asking me to get. Each painting has a lot of pictorial work, many hours of restless scrutiny that is shown in the result. When painting the photo, there is a total control, both in shape and color. Working with oil paint is a huge advantage due to the great power you have over the image. By using transparent glazes, layer upon layer, you get very unique vibrations of color and textures. As a summary, it can be said that this technique that I have developed and that I do not know of anyone in the world who performs it in the same way, takes advantage of today's high digital technology to apply it to the very traditional way of oil painting.
Carlos Arriaga.
