underpainting

American  

[uhn-der-peyn-ting] / ˈʌn dərˌpeɪn tɪŋ /

noun

1. the first coat of paint, especially the initial painting painting on a canvas in which the major areas, tones, colors, and forms are indicated in mass.

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underpainting British  

/ ˈʌndəˌpeɪntɪŋ /

noun

1. the first layer in a painting, indicating the design and main areas of light and shade

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Etymology

Origin of underpainting

First recorded in 1865–70; under- + painting

Example Sentences

That’s a motif that runs through the book, the idea of the underpainting.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 30, 2022

Brummel’s exhibition explores technical methods used to learn more about Picasso’s underpainting, including advanced microscopy and spectroscopic imaging.

From Washington Post • Dec. 28, 2021

Years later… It was examined initially at the Atheneum, where a digital X-ray revealed an underpainting that looked like a self-portrait, which added to confidence about its authenticity.

From Fox News • Apr. 1, 2019

The support bars are deep, so that the surface stands an inch or two in front of the wall, while the exposed sides frequently reveal underpainting in one or more other hues.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2015

Most of what I do is drawing, because the preparation of the surface, the laborious underpainting and detailed concentration of egg tempera are too much for me.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood