Referenced from Trompe L’Oeil, Grisaille Architecture & Drawing

Grisaille painting can develop structure and animate flat surfaces through the effect of grisaille relief painting. The painted objects are in three dimensions. The effect of painting with light grey, middle grey and dark grey shades will develop the look of three dimensional elements. To achieve the illusion of light and shadow painting in shades of grey is considered to be a form of Trompe L’oeil.

Dimensional objects are painted with light and dark gradations of the grey tones. These grey tones are either “cool” with touches of green or blue or “warm” with red and yellow. Grisaille is painting in tones of one color. The tones of grey have a limited choice of tonal gradation. Opaque highlights and added light tones are frequently used in Grisaille paintings.

Architectural illusion is deceptive painting that depicts architectural elements realistically. An illusion of a relief often creates the look and visual feeling of a vivid three dimensional design. The use of tonal values makes the background recede or project into the foreground. By painting in this manner the objects have form and depth such as frames, moldings and paintings. Light and shadows are painted freehand.

Paint first the light shadows and then the light tones. Second is the dark shadows that are placed here and there to pop up the highlight.

By using the grey tones of Grisaille many elements are painted to appear three dimensional. From fanciful elements and designs to repeating moldings that have a flat surface the painting becomes a three dimensional surface.

Trompe l’oeil painting includes the art form of grisaille. Painting in shades of grey is an art form in and of itself. Beautiful motifs from classic to the modern style of painting work well using Grisaille. Grisaille work is used as facades, columns, moldings, pilasters and more. Also figurative grisaille sculptures adorn many walls both inside and on the exterior of buildings. Draperies are often painted in grisaille to appear as three dimensional fabrics.

All grisaille painting can become an under painting. By using washes of various colors that are transparent, the grisaille painting slowly develops…layer after layer. This allows the painter to match the value of the under painting to the values of the color washes.

The following paragraphs are from a favorite book “Trompe L’oeil”, Grisaille Architecture and Drapery by Ursala and Martin Benad.

“A grisaille stucco ornament of architectural relief and painted drapery have many parallel qualities. Draped fabric is some kind of incidental ornament or textile structure—as long as you focus exclusively on the three-dimensionality. Only the manifestation of colorful textile design or special materiality and colorfulness go beyond the tone on tone painting technique.

That is why the series of illustrations below with drapery and melon follows the same procedures in the previous chapters. After the contour drawing, the receding plane areas are deepened to various degrees of intensity and their outlines smoothed. Any further dark shading is accomplished by using the hatching technique. The delineation follows the course of the drapery to give the folds a realistic appearance.

Highlights are not randomly placed but applied here and there with a fine brush.”