Verdaccio

Verdaccio is an Italian name for the mixture of black, white, and yellow pigments resulting in a grayish or yellowish (depending on the proportion) soft greenish brown.

Verdaccio became integral part of fresco painting where this color is used for defining tonal values, creating complete monochromatic underpainting. Often architectural details in frescoes are left in Verdacchio without any additional color layers, best example is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, where you can clearly see verdaccio underpainting left as is on all architectural details of the composition.

The technique of underpainting in verdaccio became known as Verdaccio.

In oil painting a similar technique is used by flemish painters which is referred to as the Dead Layer. "Dead Layer" is applied over the traditional bone colour (1 part raw umber 1 part yellow ochre) priming to refine the values and remove the warm tone of the primer. The resulted "white to olive green to black" underpainting is like "like being lit by a moon light" which does not affect the tonality of the final painting.

External links

• WetCanvas!: Michael Georges: Underpainting - A primer for the new painter