Grayscale Painting Tutorial // Acrylic Tips and Techniques

[@carolehlinger932]

Awe there is my favorite birds! Really great!

[@russellj.6708]

I know this will sound semi-lame but I have watched your work for a while now and I'd suggest that you do a whole other one and glaze that then compare side by each. And as a plus, you'll have two really sweet paintings in your inventory. Just saying. Your work so inspires me. Thanks and Happy Spooky Day soon. Rusty

[@jennifersmith3245]

that is exactly what I was thinking as well.

[@catherinevangass4927]

Agreed

[@ginajennings1664]

I could watch your videos all day. ❤

[@Cynthia_108]

Your bird feet look fabulous, by the way!😅 I think you should be sponsored by Golden, if they don't offer you should ask. That's a wonderful painting!🖤💀

[@gundabriggs6507]

I like it as it is, the perfect Crow mood

[@teresamazotti1315]

I would love to see color glazed on it! This is gorgeous!

[@rosecarew783]

I love it the way it is!

[@fredericaongenaert9531]

Lass es wie es ist, denn es ist wunderschön!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@lizzijansen6527]

What a wonderful gift you have. TY

[@kathyrippyfleming7277]

Love it as is!❤️

[@lynnethrelfall2625]

❤You are an incredible artist and amazing teacher. Soooo glazing please.😊

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you❤❤❤

[@patriciarock6894]

It’s really awesome as it is, but I would love to see you take it to the next level with your glazing

[@bess1955]

I think it is great in grayscale. The only reason I would want to see it in color is curiosity. I do feel like the colors fit the mood and looks great as is. That is a hard choice.

[@lydiabroderick867]

I agree! Very tough choice!😬😊

[@chandarussell]

Keep it as is. It’s gorgeous.

[@jargongirl]

It sounds like lots of your followers want it kept as is! I agree with the person that suggested keeping it as is and doing a second one to see the difference. I think it would look really cool to add just subtle touches of color, tho 😄 I am a big fan and thank you for sharing all your creativity with us 🥰

[@StudioGriffel]

Beautiful! I love to see a glazing, with burned umer

[@kellyhenderson327]

Love this painting and if I hadn’t watched the skull painting first, I would have said leave it black and white but now I am curious to see what the colour would look like. It will be beautiful no matter what you decide. Love love love your work! Hope my vote will count ☺️

[@robincrivello3880]

Love it just the way it is in a monochromatic palette. It is beautifully eerie!!!!!

[@aerialarboreal9005]

I want you to contiune because I love to watch you paint... Do the love-birds blue highlights!! The subject mater is awesome by the way... Corvids are so smart, they know how to use tools, and who knows? At the rate we're going? They might just take over!! lol Cheers, thank you again... N xx

[@gratefulcreations]

Perfect for the season my friend

[@lydiabroderick867]

I agree! Thank you!😊❤

[@judithlund4346]

Love it the way it is. ❤ Your work is amazing…….🤩

[@MarisaArtCrafts]

I love painting crows their so expressional in a painting 😊

[@fuzzydragons]

your birbs look very majestic!

[@scribbleswh2018]

Love the monochrome, but I would also love to see a glaze. Unless you can paint another one, I am absolutely no help. Lol. The composition is fantastic.

[@simonestroud2614]

Truth be told, I love this painting how it is but I really want to see your glazing process!

[@c.k.m.8134]

ADORE YOUR WORK AND YOUR PROCESS!!!! And, although I don't celebrate Halloween, I LOVE how you delight in crows! (How fitting is it that Noah, from the Bible, sent out a crow to see if land was near. The crow didn't return, but soon after the dove he sent out did return. Some suspect he crow was probably just chilling out on a fab tree.🌴🌳🌴) THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEOS🕊🕊🕊

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you so much!!! I didn't know that about Noah. Super interesting!❤

[@nancylemon4120]

Lovi it the way it is Lydia! Awesome Video & Artwork, Always enjoy your videos. 😘😘

[@ArtworkByMelissaReed]

I love it as a monochromatic black-and-white, but as a fellow Artist, I feel that if you have any doubt in your mind that it is unfinished, you are never going to look at it as a completed piece, so I would probably advise you to add the color!😊

[@carolijn8958]

Leave it as it is. It's the perfect crow mood

[@tomandgerit.2157]

I love the mood of it the way it is in grayscale. You are so talented!

[@martha0623]

I love it the way it is!!

[@doninis1354]

I am into black and white, pictures or paintings. In my opinion it has something elegant and nostalgic or gives a gothicesk look. Love it! Ravens are very underestimated animals. Maybe ad a litthe shine to the fethers, but no color like gloss or something could give that painting (if possible) that little something you are missing to feel "finished". To me it is good as is.

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you for the input! It's a really hard call... I'm almost tempted to do a smaller version and glaze it in color!😁

[@rebeccabrown941]

Really appreciate the info on Golden Acrylics - I’ve been curious about trying them. Perhaps now I will - maybe just starting with the three you used. Thanks for another terrific video (love your crows)!

[@catherinevangass4927]

Love it!! 👌🏻🎨😻 The goth theme is totally brought across with the crows, church spire, cemetry pillar and creepy mist and lifeless tree... So I also think do another one where you bring in the sepia and colour, same theme maybe different layout so its not a carbon copy🤷‍♀️🤔😉🙌🏻💜 Go with your gut though.. 😉

[@kfergus3662]

This is my favorite I just love it, leave it, Crows are my spirit animal

[@charliemcquillan7058]

Hi Lydia, luuuurve your vids! Also: Glaze! Glaze! Glaze! Mainly because I’m about to glaze over an acrylic greyscale and would like to pick up some tip (so for purely selfish reasons, not because it necessarily needs it 😁).

[@marjoleinrijtma3617]

Absolutely stunning as all your paintings. I would keep it as is if I were you.

[@brendabrushart]

I love this just the way it is! 😊❤

[@kimprice2709]

love it the way it is

[@scooterkidz1657]

It’s gorgeous as it is! I wouldn’t put any color over it. I think color would be a distraction from the bold-yet-delicate beauty of it. If you love it but you are considering color only because you feel it needs *something* to give it that truly finished look, but can’t really decide what the *something* needed is…. the adjustment I would consider would be the section of “background painted around the tail”. Distant backgrounds don’t usually find their way around foreground objects… I see that you adjusted some of the background value around the tail so that you can see the tail better, and that was an excellent choice-the tail does pop forward as intended! But in my (unprofessional) opinion, for what it’s worth, that lighter background value should extend out just a bit farther so that it doesn’t seem like you randomly painted around the tail in an unnatural way. To my painterly eye, that’s the only thing that looks slightly unfinished. No color is needed! Well done! 😍🖤

[@lydiabroderick867]

Excellent observation! I agree with you on the tail as well. It's such a tough decision! Thank you for your input.... Super helpful!👍😊

[@stephaniepotterart]

The voting thing is pretty cool! I never knew. ☺️

[@MayMetri]

Wow, I need to try this ,with your permission. I never painted crows before.

[@janinafisher101]

Hello Sunshine! Before I even watch this video I have to tell you that I just watched a video that reminded me SO MUCH of you! LOL! Her name is Rachel Maksy, and you totally have to watch her Victorian bedroom makeover video and see "yourself" in action! Okay... now to watch your video! Post-watching edit: I love the painting! I think a very very subtle bit of glazed colour added to this could add depth and interest. And I know you will do it just right. It's really so cool. You come up with some amazing paintings! What a mind you have... lol!

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you Janina! I came across Rachel Maksy not long ago! I totally agree! I'm still of two minds as far as the painting goes. Every time I think "Ok... I'm going to glaze it", another part of me says "Not today".🤔☺

[@myplantadventures]

I love your painting! and in Mono-chromatic!.. crows and ravens come to my deck every day because I feed them and they have a very deep metallic blue sheen that can be seen in certain lights. It's very beautiful! I could see that deep blue being added ( and thats all) to the ravens as an interest point to draw the eye in for closer inspection .

[@lydiabroderick867]

Great idea!! Thank you!!!❤

[@judilynn9569]

I actually love the painting and monotone, but at the same time I feel like there could be some areas of cool color. Not sure how you’d handle that, but it would be cool to see color at least in the background.

[@Knorrette]

It's stunning as it is but i think glazing would give it more life.

[@dorydiavelone3531]

Oooh yeah love it as is but really really want to see it glazed!!

[@bobbiemontgomery925]

Do a smaller painting in the same way, and then glaze it with color. This gray-scale piece is extraordinary on it's own.

[@iandouceartist]

Love it, leave it mono ❤

[@chefboot]

Great video keep it as is I reckon. Do another a small series maybe.❤

[@Gloomy_steve_oh]

I love a good murder. This is a beautiful piece to calm the mind. I wanted to ask tho, how are the Zen mini detail brushes still holding up? I know that videos can come out a while after the paintings are actually finished and you mentioned getting 2nd set for your oils separate from your acrylic brushes. I noticed you used at least one for this process. I'm definitely thinking of adding them to my art-senal soon. Welllllll.......shoot.. I just love what you continue to bring us here and, like many others, I can't wait to see what you have planned next!! Take care out there, always. TTFN🖤❣🖤

[@KarenEnglish-d1u]

I love this painting in grey scale but would also love to see it glazed. Thank you so much for all your tutorials!!!

[@dianeo]

I love it! I'm becoming more intrigued by the Golden Open Acrylics and the ease of blending without having to mess with oil paint solvents and flammable paint rags! Great image and lovely technique. Adding a glaze may add to the richness of the whole piece. Thanks for the tips!

[@CatWezel66]

I love it like it is 😁👏💝

[@missmollee1545]

This is just beautiful!! Love it

[@kyelesley7498]

It sounds to me like you’re going to have to do two paintings! I love the way it is as well… But curious as to see how it comes out with color! Decisions decisions😁😁

[@StevenKendall-km1vm]

Thank you Beautiful as it is. When in doubt leave it be

[@maramakesjournals2319]

The monochromatic effect is really stunning…and spooky. Edgar and Ellen Crow. 🩷birds

[@kellielagerwey6596]

I absolutely love watching you paint, you are an amazing artist and always entertaining! I volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center and have spent many hours with the birds, this painting is one of my favorites...I vote glaze!

[@ElizabethCuccia]

Glaze. I loved when you added the blues to the crow in a past painting

[@DuanTorruellas]

It's perfect in b/w grisaille and it is a true one fitting its gothic theme of Poe perfectly. If you add color it will not boast these qualities. But regardless its still a great painting. ❤❤❤

[@tracytruhlarik6525]

Hello from Canada Another beautiful video. Your paint room, your painting. Whatever you decide will be fantastic. Thanks for sharing

[@sunshine7789]

I like it as it is.

[@laureltobiason793]

Keep it just as it is❤

[@mortenviking3196]

You nailed it again! Would love to see how you will glasze it,

[@deanofrankenstein6391]

"... almost like that lighting is timed" 😅 I think this painting is perfect the way it is. I dig everything about it. But it would also be cool to see you demonstrate the glazing process. Hey, this season isn't over at all, so there's plenty of time to do another spooky painting & glaze that one! 😁

[@deanofrankenstein6391]

*lightning, not lighting 🤦‍♂️

[@lydiabroderick867]

This is true!!! It's a really close race in the voting. Almost a tie! I'm thinking of doing another painting (monochrome again)... Starting with a black canvas this time and then glazing that one. Completely different subject, but still spooky.😁💀

[@deanofrankenstein6391]

Sounds awesome! I definitely vote yes to that idea! I like using black canvases myself.

[@Jasmin-gj1lr]

AMAZING artwork! I‘m a fan of bnw 🖤

[@lsenchuk]

It is perfect to me just as it is.

[@joannasundquist8494]

❤ go for it! As you feel it’s not finished…..I think you should glaze it. 🤪

[@kellylea3575]

Hey Lydia, I love it as is ...but.... I truly would love to see the glazing process. I agree with Rusty, how about doing another which corresponds with this one that you then glaze over so we can all compare the two styles, see the glazing process and you will have a set.

[@nightmary]

So, I went to the community tab, but I can't vote the way I want to. I want one of each, please. Since this painting was to show us grayscale, perhaps you could consider it finished. It is shivery wonderful, I think, and should be allowed to be what it is. But I also want to see you do the glazing, so I'd love to see you do another painting with that in mind. If we're really lucky, we would get to see you paint both the grayscale and the glaze on that one. Could be a two-parter. Pretty please.

[@charlotteherring1715]

I love it just as it. It vibes haunting! It feels very illustrative. Which I dig. As always. A super fun time with you! Love the shiny flash near the beginning! 💍. Also super pretty!

[@deannfrey3469]

You are such a talented artist. So inspiring. ❤

[@jeffseymour212]

It’s fabulous as is but I would like to see the Wizard of Oz version.

[@wz6945]

Would love to see it glazed in color!

[@johnrogersAlterism]

I would like a navy blue glaze with subtle pale orange highlights

[@silviasunesen7649]

Love your painting as it is ❤❤ However i am curious to see it in colour Totally your call

[@WoodyKoning]

Glaze the birds to create iridescents😊love your vids. Woody on Kodiak Island, Alaska

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you!!!☺

[@mariachaverri7607]

Looooooooooove it thanks

[@Lex-cg3ee]

I like it as is.

[@TjVoelkerArt]

This may be an odd question, but I don't paint....yet. Is there a reason you leave the tags on the paintbrush? Just curious. Love the painting as is!

[@denisecheng2962]

Glaze🎨 would love to see how that is done!

[@handgathered]

Love the moody vibe of the greyscale. Leave it for a while, at least. Let it tell you what it needs.

[@LordCurmudgeon]

Yes! Please glaze it!!

[@IciarOrozcoBazan]

Es perfecto asi❤

[@LizNicholsArt]

Glazed color is my choice. I painted American Pharoah in front of the Twin Spires in KY once and had such troubles with the spire points. I used oils, an acrylic grisaille would have been easier, maybe....

[@luannianke8110]

I like the monotone but I am curious about how you would do the color or...how about just sepia-like tones?

[@lydiabroderick867]

That's what I was thinking!

[@patchoulirose]

Dont touch it :D i love the way it is!!

[@jazminalvarado8433]

😍

[@irenegarcia7356]

I WOULD ADD DARK BLUES & PURPLES TO MAKE IT POP

[@rubenalvarez4242]

esto esta bien gotico hermoso lo dejaria asi ,mi pregunta es si usaste algun medio para que el acrilico no se secara tan rapido o solo es con agua gracias espero tu repuesta desde argentina ruben .....

[@lydiabroderick867]

I used golden open acrylics which have a much slower drying time.😁

[@susandunker8693]

As is gets my vote, but wouldn’t mind seeing you add color either!

[@greglees9318]

Nice work, a touch of glaze would lift it and still leave it dramatic.

[@Laura_Stern]

I would only ad goldleaf or silverleaf 😉

[@susanwalkingstickbooth4029]

Beautiful as is, tho glazing would be of interest! I

[@John__67]

A splattering of dark red blood dripping from their claws!

[@EdouardBManoukian]

Leave it as it is.

[@frc2102]

Nah no color haloween sppoky is PERFECT, just like you

[@ElaineBakerCreepyCaboodle]

I love it as it is, but I'm also curious how the the coloured version would look too. Call me fickle 😂

[@williamlaforge4517]

Let’s glaze it…. :)