Using a pink or ochre (often referred to as an imprimatura or tonal ground) on a canvas before painting offers several technical and artistic advantages over starting on a stark white surface. A pink ground, in particular, is often used to introduce warmth, vitality, and a glowing undertone to the final piece.

Eliminates White Canvas Intimidation

  • Easier Value Judgement: A bright white canvas makes it difficult to accurately judge
    tones and colours, especially light values. A mid-tone ground provides a baseline,
    making it easier to see where to add light and dark values.
  • Reduces Fear: It removes the daunting, “stark white” starting point, helping artists to
    start painting more quickly and loosely.

Creates Colour Harmony and Depth

  • Inner Glow: Warm grounds like pink or ochre can peek through the subsequent layers of paint, providing an underlying, vibrant glow that adds depth to the painting.
  • Unifies the Piece: It acts as a unifying base colour that harmonizes the overall composition.
  • Vibrancy: Pink in particular is often used to make green landscapes appear more
    vibrant, as it acts as a warm, contrasting base.

Improves Technical Efficiency

  • Faster Covering: It acts as an underpainting, covering the white canvas and allowing
    the artist to quickly establish the atmosphere, especially when painting with transparent
    colours.
  • “Broken Color” Technique: If the paint is applied thinly, hints of the ground will show
    through, adding interest, spontaneity, and “broken color” to the final piece.

Specific Benefits by Colour

  • Pink/Magenta: Often used in landscape painting to create a warm, radiant atmosphere, particularly for sunrise or sunset scenes, and to add a soft glow to skin tones in portraits.
  • Yellow/Ochre: Ideal for creating a warm, sunny, or earthy, classical undertone.

Tips for Application

  • Consistency: The ground should be a thin wash, similar to the consistency of milk or cream, allowing it to act as a stain rather than an opaque coat.
  • Wiping: It is commonly applied and then partially wiped back with a rag to allow some of the white of the canvas to still show, if desired.
  • Material: It is recommended to use acrylic paint or a very thin mix of oil paint for the ground, letting it dry completely before starting the main, more opaque layers.