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MONOCHROME PALETTE –
Amy Dury
Reference Image
Materials
Oil painting paper or canvas
Dark oil paint (e.g., Burnt Umber
or Burnt Sienna)
Solvent (non-toxic, citrus-based recommended)
Brushes
Sponge
Cloth/rags
Cotton buds
Reference photo (black and white
or vintage recommended)
Find these items at cassart.co.uk
Setting Up
For this exercise you’ll be predominantly using only one colour. Choose something quite dark, like burnt umber, as this will give you a larger tonal range to work with.
Set up your workstation and position your reference image at eye level for easy comparison.
Use a sponge to apply a thin wash of your chosen paint mixed with solvent, creating a mid-tone background. You can leave the edges unfinished for an expressive look.
Top Tip: Let the white of the paper show through to create natural highlights.
Sketching the Subject
When choosing a reference image, it’s good to go for an image you find interesting. Choose one where the subject(s) isn’t posing as it can lead to a more natural image.
It’s time to start sketching. Using a thin midtone wash, work freehand for a loose, expressive start, focusing on large shapes. Instead of outlining, build the figure from the inside out, defining the main forms first.
Top Tip: Don’t feel forced to include everything from the photograph. Include the elements you like and leave out any you’re not drawn to.
Adding Shadows & Mid-Tones
Add less medium this time round so the tone is much darker. Start to build up thin layers of darker tones to define features and structure. Pay close attention to the angle of the head as it conveys emotion and personality. You could use a bristle brush for bold, textured marks. Avoid fine details early—continue to focus on overall shapes and contrast.
Top Tip: Faces are a collection of shapes—focus on these rather than details at first.
Lifting off the Paint for Highlights
To add highlights use a clean cloth, kitchen roll or sponge to gently lift paint from areas where light hits. You can also apply solvent to a rag or a cotton bud for even brighter highlights (e.g., cheekbones, nose, collarbones). Experiment with different tools—textured cloth, beauty blenders, or dry brushes—to create variation.
Top Tip: Removing paint adds luminosity and can be more effective than adding white for highlights.
Refining Details & Enhancing Contrast
As your painting progresses introduce thicker paint layers for strong shadows and dramatic effect. Using a bristle brush will help you to apply these thicker layers. Define key features like eyes, nose, and mouth by adjusting edges and contrast. Use a small detail brush to reinforce important shapes (e.g., the curve of the nose into the eyebrow). When working on the eyes, it might be useful to focus on the shapes of the socket rather than the eye itself.
Top Tip: Avoid overworking—focus on expressive marks rather than perfect lines.
Adding Subtle Colour Variations
Don’t be afraid to slightly veer away from your one colour. You can warm up shadows with red tones or cool them down with blue. You could also blend a tiny amount of colour into skin tones for a more natural look. Don’t get carried away- work with a limited palette to maintain harmony and the feel of monochrome.
Top Tip: Mixing brown and blue creates a rich, inky black for defining edges.
Final Touches & Background Elements
A final technique could be to add some blocks of off white to the background to create more texture and depth. It’s nice to include some ‘scumbling’ where you embrace the marks being thin enough to reveal the colour underneath. Consider adding abstract or simplified background elements for contrast. Stand back and assess—sometimes, less is more.
Top Tip: Old photographs make great references—capture their nostalgic charm with a tonal approach.