Q: What is a grisaille technique, and how can it help me?
A: Grisaille,
as its French name suggests, is a monochromatic painting accomplished
with shades of gray. Originally used by Greeks as a method of modeling
forms and illustrating sculpture relief, it was also a standard method
of painting indirectly (painting in layers) from the time of Cennino
Cennini to the time of Ingres.
One of the most common uses for
a grisaille, seen in numerous Northern Renaissance paintings, is an
underpainting for flesh. The grisaille was often either a neutral gray
or green color, although pink was also used for this purpose. The
indirectness of the grisaille method will allow you to describe volumes
in terms of light and dark values without the consideration of color.