Imprimatura – The concept
The word ‘imprimatura’ is an Italian word that means ‘first coat of paint’. Before rubbing the canvas with the first drop of paint, a thin, transparent layer of paint known as imprimatura is applied to the entire canvas. It typically has neutral olive or earth tones, derived primarily from raw sienna. Imprimatura helps reduce bright radiant light on canvas and allows topcoats to exude their true colors.
The details
This primer paint is mixed with turpentine oil to establish significant contrasts between light and dark, while preparing the canvas for subsequent coats of paint. To apply primer, it is very important to have the final color scheme correctly chalked up in advance. The base shade is then chosen accordingly to obtain the desired shine and color effects. When the initial coat is done in the shade of gray rather than olive, it is known as grisaille.
The key purpose of imprimatura is to seal the primer layer so that it becomes non-absorbent and radiates its colors, while providing a visual quality chord. It is used a lot in indirect paintings where the sketch and the first painting are left to dry to continue working. Sometimes a primary draft of the desired image is created on the canvas and a layer of primer is applied over it. This securely seals the sketch as a foundational layer, while the artist prepares to paint over it.
The history
Records show that the imprimatura has been used since the Middle Ages (5th-16th centuries), albeit to a limited extent. It came into regular use only during the Renaissance period (14th-17th centuries), especially in Italy. The Italian Renaissance painter Dosso Dossi (1490-1542) discovered the use of imprimatura in paintings. Electron microscopic scanning and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry showed that in those times gypsum, quartz, pyrite, dolomite and micaceous minerals were mixed to form imprimature. The use of lead white and clay was also observed in paints.
conclusion
With the imprimatura that tones the canvas, the paintings definitely exude the ‘oomph’ that their creators want them to have. The base certainly gives a very fine edge to the work.
