Three singers

surface prep

The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint. While specific canvas preparation for this exact work is not detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting of this period involved priming the canvas to create a stable ground. The artist likely used a white or light-toned ground to facilitate the 'fat over lean' rule and the subsequent glazing techniques described in the sources (Source 8).

underdrawing

Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 8). Kauffman, working in the Neoclassical style, likely employed a precise underdrawing to establish the composition's narrative clarity and figure placement before applying paint.

underpainting

The process likely involved creating a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white, mixed with oil of copavia as a medium (Source 1). This initial stage establishes the values and forms without color, allowing the artist to mentally extract red and yellow tones to be added later (Source 1).

Glazing

A transparent coat of color applied over a dry underpainting to modify hue and value without obscuring the underlying form. Used by old masters and cited in Reynolds' method.

Scumbling

Semi-opaque painting applied over a darker ground to create coldness or grey blooms, allowing the underlying painting to show through.

Fat over Lean

A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking.

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding how juxtaposed colors affect each other, where the highest tone is enfeebled and the lowest tone is heightened, creating a true gradation of light.