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Underdrawing
Underdrawing

Underdrawing is the drawing done on a painting ground before paint is applied, for example, an imprimatura or an underpainting. Underdrawing was used extensively by 15th century painters like Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden....
 is the drawing
Drawing

Drawing is a visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoals, chalk, pastels, marker pens, stylus, or various metals like silverpoint....
 done on a painting ground before paint is applied, for example, an imprimatura
Imprimatura

Imprimatura is a term used in painting, meaning an initial stain of color painted on a ground. It provides a painter with a Transparency toned ground, which will allow light falling onto the painting to reflection through the paint layers....
 or an underpainting
Underpainting

In art, an underpainting is an initial layer of paint applied to a ground, which serves as a base for subsequent layers of paint. Underpaintings are often monochromatic and help to define colour values for later painting....
. Underdrawing was used extensively by 15th century painters like Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck

Jan van Eyck or Johannes de Eyck was an Early Netherlandish painting active in Bruges and considered one of the best Northern European painters of the 15th century....
 and Rogier van der Weyden. These artists "underdrew" with a brush, using hatching strokes for shading, using water-based black paint, before underpainting
Underpainting

In art, an underpainting is an initial layer of paint applied to a ground, which serves as a base for subsequent layers of paint. Underpaintings are often monochromatic and help to define colour values for later painting....
 and overpainting
Overpainting

Overpainting can mean the final layers of paint, over some type of underpainting, in a system of working in layers. It can also mean later paint added by restorers, or an artist or dealer wishing to "improve" or update an old image; unfortunately a very common practice in the past....
 with oils. Cennino D'Andrea Cennini
Cennino D'Andrea Cennini

Cennino d'Andrea Cennini was an Italy Painting influenced by Giotto di Bondone. He was a student of Agnolo Gaddi.Cennini was born in Colle Val d'Elsa, Tuscany....
 (14th century most likely) describes a different type of underdrawing, made with graded tones rather than hatching, for egg tempera

In some cases, underdrawing can be clearly visualized using infrared
Infrared

Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light , but shorter than that of terahertz radiation and microwaves ....
 reflectography because carbon black pigments absorb infrared light, whereas opaque pigments such as lead white are transparent with infrared light.

What is remarkable about some historical examples of underdrawing, in - for example - the Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington)
Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington)

The Annunciation is an oil painting by the Early Netherlandish painting master Jan van Eyck, from around 1434-1436. It is in the National Gallery of Art, in Washington D.C....
 or the Arnolfini Portrait
Arnolfini portrait

The Arnolfini Portrait is a painting in oil paint on oak panel executed by the Early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck in 1434. Among other titles, it is also known as "The Arnolfini Wedding", "The Arnolfini Marriage", "The Arnolfini Double Portrait" or the "Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife"....
, is the extent to which artists made radical alterations to their carefully laid designs.








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Underdrawing
Underdrawing

Underdrawing is the drawing done on a painting ground before paint is applied, for example, an imprimatura or an underpainting. Underdrawing was used extensively by 15th century painters like Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden....
 is the drawing
Drawing

Drawing is a visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoals, chalk, pastels, marker pens, stylus, or various metals like silverpoint....
 done on a painting ground before paint is applied, for example, an imprimatura
Imprimatura

Imprimatura is a term used in painting, meaning an initial stain of color painted on a ground. It provides a painter with a Transparency toned ground, which will allow light falling onto the painting to reflection through the paint layers....
 or an underpainting
Underpainting

In art, an underpainting is an initial layer of paint applied to a ground, which serves as a base for subsequent layers of paint. Underpaintings are often monochromatic and help to define colour values for later painting....
. Underdrawing was used extensively by 15th century painters like Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck

Jan van Eyck or Johannes de Eyck was an Early Netherlandish painting active in Bruges and considered one of the best Northern European painters of the 15th century....
 and Rogier van der Weyden. These artists "underdrew" with a brush, using hatching strokes for shading, using water-based black paint, before underpainting
Underpainting

In art, an underpainting is an initial layer of paint applied to a ground, which serves as a base for subsequent layers of paint. Underpaintings are often monochromatic and help to define colour values for later painting....
 and overpainting
Overpainting

Overpainting can mean the final layers of paint, over some type of underpainting, in a system of working in layers. It can also mean later paint added by restorers, or an artist or dealer wishing to "improve" or update an old image; unfortunately a very common practice in the past....
 with oils. Cennino D'Andrea Cennini
Cennino D'Andrea Cennini

Cennino d'Andrea Cennini was an Italy Painting influenced by Giotto di Bondone. He was a student of Agnolo Gaddi.Cennini was born in Colle Val d'Elsa, Tuscany....
 (14th century most likely) describes a different type of underdrawing, made with graded tones rather than hatching, for egg tempera

In some cases, underdrawing can be clearly visualized using infrared
Infrared

Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light , but shorter than that of terahertz radiation and microwaves ....
 reflectography because carbon black pigments absorb infrared light, whereas opaque pigments such as lead white are transparent with infrared light.

What is remarkable about some historical examples of underdrawing, in - for example - the Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington)
Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington)

The Annunciation is an oil painting by the Early Netherlandish painting master Jan van Eyck, from around 1434-1436. It is in the National Gallery of Art, in Washington D.C....
 or the Arnolfini Portrait
Arnolfini portrait

The Arnolfini Portrait is a painting in oil paint on oak panel executed by the Early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck in 1434. Among other titles, it is also known as "The Arnolfini Wedding", "The Arnolfini Marriage", "The Arnolfini Double Portrait" or the "Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife"....
, is the extent to which artists made radical alterations to their carefully laid designs.

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