How to Tone Your Painting Canvas (Colors and Effects) 🎨

[@paigetomkinson1137]

Malcolm, thank you, thank you, thank you! I've watched way too many videos about making toned grounds, without anyone showing the difference in how they work with the colors. What a wonderful help this is to me. I am subscribing, not only for that, but you do have a very pleasant manner, and don't go too quickly. Cheers!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you 😊

[@paigetomkinson1137]

@@MalcolmDewey My pleasure!

[@Kig505]

@@MalcolmDewey My pleasure I asked for some explanations could you please explain , help me ? Thanks

[@AliBaba-ke5jn]

Hi Malcolm. I accidently found your channel and think you are the best teacher out there. Your tutorials are very informative and to the point. Just the info I need to begin landscape painting. Cheers.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Fantastic, 🎨 Happy Painting

[@robertduncan4109]

Very informative video!! I somewhat stumbled on toning my canvass by accident. Completed painting with acrylics on a white canvass, the finished work exceeded my expectations, and friends though I was finally getting it together. Some time later it was varnish time......what a disappointment! When I photographed the painting after having it varnished, numerous ultra miniature white dots ( smaller than a pin head) bled through, it was a disaster. Incidently, the dots showed only in the photograph. After a bit of anguish and confounding, I attempted to cover a blank canvass with yellow ochre. Bingo! Have been toning canvas since then, and I keep the ruined painting as a reminder of what went wrong. The majority of previous paintings were not toned prior to painting....guess I was lucky.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thanks Robert - an interesting point - that cold white canvas can come back to haunt you :)

[@123tabatha]

This is perfect for what Im needing right now. I do appreciate your teaching. Thanks heaps

[@MalcolmDewey]

Excellent, thank you!

[@guylaineregimbald2914]

Again you made it simple and clear. It also brings to mind that each background creates an overall tone to the painting. Thank you.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you - absolutely.

[@catholictortillas777]

Wonderful! I am a fairly new painter. I love landscape painting and plein air. So thoughtful of you to show us how the colors look. I have only used burnt sienna to tone but now thinking of more options. Thank you!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you Angela

[@almabeston7777]

Your demonstration clearly helped me to decide on using the Ultamarine Blue gray underpainting for my lake scene painting. Thank you! 😊

[@MalcolmDewey]

It's a pleasure Alma

[@belindahall5220]

Great video! Answers some questions I've had 😊 Thanks Malcolm!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Happy to hear that!

[@jensschettler1732]

I tone my canvas in deep ochre or raw umber to match my wood palette. This is awesome because the colours on the palette matches exactly the colours on the canvas. The only way i get really get results.

[@MalcolmDewey]

That's a great idea!

[@jensschettler1732]

@@MalcolmDewey this way a good colour comes up automaticly. The light colours, as you sayd, comes much more correct and this it criticle to a good painting. Btw.. for the last couple of paintings i ground my linen in raw sienna from harding with my hands. No brush, no cloth. Just bare hands. It immedently habe this davinci vibe to it. I guess the old masters doing alot with there bare hands. As well as painting and blending paint with they hands. I think , this is part of the magic. Soory for my bad english.

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

I love toning with quinacridone magenta and various warm reds.... but that grey ultramarine blue was lovely... I think I should play around more.

[@MalcolmDewey]

True - the cool tone is very calming.

[@karenviglione503]

Thank you this really helped no one else described the same

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you, glad it helped you!

[@oljas4642]

Thank you so much, great lessen🕊

[@zasvedogovore]

This is such a valuable content, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. What do think about using different tones of underpainting for different areas?

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you. Yes underpainting can be very useful in various ways. Different colours and values. I must look into a video on this too.

[@kenp1013]

Thank you so for someone to finally explain this!!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kenp1013]

@Taylor Samson I went in to art school, they didn’t say “shit” about this!

[@anewcareerinanewtown]

Excellent and very informative video thanks

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you

[@wandamcdonald6095]

Thanks so much for this. I tone my wood panels with light yellow ochre or a wash of burnt sienna for plein air, but this is taking it a step farther for me, as I am now going to do sample panels (different tones with colour swatches on them) so I can choose more accurately when painting out doors.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you Wanda - good luck with your testing.

[@keisarsosa930]

Thanks for the guidance.

[@MalcolmDewey]

It's a pleasure.

[@flaaq2970]

thank you for this video, it's really helpful

[@MalcolmDewey]

You're so welcome!

[@derekfernandez7701]

Thank you for this video! It was so helpful! 💙

[@marthas8108]

Thank you very much. I have a beginner's question: would you ever tone portions of your canvas differently, to serve as background to different sections? I have all I can do to match colors at present, but I'm just curious. Many thanks!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Yes you can. For example warm tones in the foreground and lighter, cooler tones for sky areas or the sea.

[@marthas8108]

@@MalcolmDewey That was a fast answer! Many thanks, and good day to you from California. I appreciate your videos very much.

[@drmeenakshisingla5960]

Hi,After seeing your videos and this one related to priming the canvas,I have started thinking.Till now ,I haven't done this .But for small paintings ,I ll give it a try.I paint on white canvas always.Be it landscpes or flowers ,etc.Yes,I have seen many portrait painters doing burnt siena wash prior.Thanks for informative videos. 🙏

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you 😊

[@drmeenakshisingla5960]

@@MalcolmDewey Thanks for your reply 🌸

[@IGFineArt]

Great video my friend!👌🙏🎨

[@yeggneswararaojammalamadak6084]

A good video for beginners. Thank you.

[@MalcolmDewey]

You are welcome!

[@artlov6599]

Thank you so much! This helps a lot!❤

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you 😊

[@tartaruslyons8361]

What a great video!!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you

[@joaneklein4280]

Terrific!

[@SuedeBeach]

Thank you :)

[@kvpoly]

That was helpful!

[@MalcolmDewey]

Thank you!

[@Vexarax]

Hello there, thank you for this video! :) A lady on a different channel was saying that you can't dilute the acrylics with water for the under-toning or it the painting will eventually peel away from the canvas, but she has the comments turned off so I couldn't see what others were saying! Is she correct or is that only a problem if you use too much water? I don't have any other mixing mediums so was hoping water will actually be okay as many other artists seem to use it when undertoning with acrylic? Thank you again!! :)

[@MalcolmDewey]

I disagree with that. The acrylic tone is thin and simply stains the canvas or panel. No peeling. Peeling is more likely with cheap acrylic applied thickly to a non-porous surface. Kind of like a peeling wall? Anyway I have never had a problem.

[@Vexarax]

@@MalcolmDewey - thanks for your reply!! I was getting worried after watching her video but again she had comments turned off which I thought was a bit sus. You videos are so helpful, thank you for sharing your knowledge and for answering questions :D

[@Kig505]

Hi Malcom !!! Very interesting it gives me an answer but still rise questions as i do not know the real result effect i will get I want to paint a liquidambars leaves on soil. The colors of liquidambar are very strong from green bluish deep yellow pinkorange burgundy red ! I was thinking to make a thin coating of different colored zones according the predominance of leaves color on that zone or do you suggest an uniform neuter color like greysh green or light terra ? Or other ? Thanks for your suggestion

[@MalcolmDewey]

In general a warm neutral is best.

[@Kig505]

@@MalcolmDewey hi even if after all leaves are of different color ? Which coating do you suggert green almond or terra siena diluted ? Thanks

[@chayita7]

Hi, Malcom. I learned alot; however, I am allergic to solvents. HOw canyou tone a canvas without mixing in a solvent with the under-color? Will the paint adhee without? Thanks, Caro.

[@MalcolmDewey]

Just use a little linseed oil as the medium. Then wipe off excess oil. Your panel will be toned just right

[@scarlettrose9543]

What tone background would you recommend for a forest with a red truck as the focal point?

[@MalcolmDewey]

A warm earth tone - burnt sienna with a little red added.

[@scarlettrose9543]

@@MalcolmDewey I'm glad I guessed correctly. I went ahead and painted my canvas. I thought if I were wrong I could just paint over it. Mine is a little more on the red side but I was going in the right direction. Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it. I went to college for art but the semester we were going over this was when covid started and they dropped the class. I'm trying to learn on my own now.

[@MalcolmDewey]

@scarlettrose9543 good for you, you will not regret it.

[@alinations_577]

What undertone should I use if I want to paint something in pink and red?

[@MalcolmDewey]

if you want the reds to be a little subdued or let some tone show through then maybe green. If bright and sharp reds then leave it white.

[@Frances-m1h]

👍 From Frances uk ♥️

[@Descendant_of_sun]

Can I use watercolor instead of acrylic for toning?

[@MalcolmDewey]

Rather thin a little oil paint with a medium. Linseed oil will do. Wipe off the excess and let it rest for a day.

[@Descendant_of_sun]

@@MalcolmDewey thank you ☺️

[@editandoparaelmundo4582]

Very informative video..Im new in painting..I love acrylics; my question is why not using white to tone my canvas ? I love painting on white. Do you recommend usin it or not ?

[@MalcolmDewey]

If you like it white then use it that way. Colour tones can add effects or help judge values better, but if this is not an issue then carry on as you prefer.

[@sdannecker6944]

👍

[@sdannecker6944]

❤️👍

[@katanderson455]

Are you mixing the orange tone or using it out of a tube?

[@MalcolmDewey]

For this it is out the tube.

[@wetpaint46]

Why don’t they teach this in art school?

[@MalcolmDewey]

Exactly