A thin covering of paint applied to a ground to lesson the ground's absorbency or to tint the ground to a middle value.

A layer of color applied to a ground, often used as a middle tone in a painting.

The first thin, transparent toning of the canvas. An imprimatura brings the surface closer to a midtone, allowing...

A thinned first application of color applied to a ground, often simply so that one would not be painting directly onto white; also used to reduce the absorbency of traditional gesso when painting in oils. Usually an earth color or a neutral gray.

Imprimatura is a term used in painting, meaning an initial stain of color painted on a ground. It provides a painter with a transparent toned ground, which will allow light falling onto the painting to reflect through the paint layers. The term itself stems from the Italian and literally means ¨first paint layer¨.