Primer – The first step to painting
Imprimature – The Concept
The word ‘imprimatura’ is an Italian word meaning ‘first coat of paint’. Before the first drop of paint is rubbed onto the canvas, a thin, transparent layer of paint known as a primer is applied to the entire canvas. It typically has neutral olive or earth tones, derived primarily from raw sienna. Primer helps reduce radiant bright light on the canvas and allows topcoats to exude their true colors.
The details
This primer paint is mixed with the turpentine oil to institute significant contrasts between light and dark, while preparing the canvas for subsequent coats of paint. In order to apply the primer, it is very important to have the final color scheme correctly chalked out beforehand. The base shade is then chosen based on the desired color and gloss effects. When the initial layer is done in a shade of gray instead of olive, it is known as grisaille.
The key purpose of priming is to seal the primer coat so that it becomes non-absorbent and radiates its colours, whilst providing a quality visual arrangement. It is widely used in indirect paintings in which 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 primer layer is applied over it. This securely seals the sketch as a foundation layer as the artist prepares to paint over it.
The history
Records show that the imprimature has been in use 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 primatura in paintings. Using electron microscopic scanning and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry it was observed that gypsum, quartz, pyrite, dolomite and micaceous minerals were mixed in those times to make primer. The use of white lead and clay was also observed in the paintings.
Conclusion
With primer shading the canvas, the paintings definitely ooze the ‘oomph’ their creators want them to have. The base undoubtedly gives a very fine edge to the work.