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Glite Dictionary
underdrawing

underdrawing

8.2
A light sketch on a painting surface made before the artist adds the final paint
  • noun
  • /ˌʌndərˈdrɔɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : boceto preliminar
  • In the end, the detectives are left with fragments of paint, scraps of scarlet borders, shady underdrawings, and no firm solution to their puzzles about authorship.

Examples

  • Infrared photography, which is widely used to view underdrawings in painting conservation, has been applied to the Museum's six Ethiopian icons (Fig. 10).

    Academic text (2003)

  • The style of the pictures follows typical Heian-period narrative illustrations, but the content of the underdrawing has yet to be firmly linked to a particular story.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The artist created a detailed underdrawing to guide her final masterpiece.

  • After finishing the underdrawing, he carefully added layers of paint to enhance the colors.

  • The underdrawing was faint but provided a clear outline for the artist's upcoming work.

Synonyms

drawing
vsunderdrawing
184 1.0

A picture made by hand with a pen or pencil

is specifically a preliminary outline made before paint rather than the general practice
rough drawing
vsunderdrawing
3.7

A quick simple sketch that shows the main ideas

is created as a preparatory layer before paint rather than just a rough sketch
limning
vsunderdrawing
  • Archaic
9.9

A simple drawing that shows the outer lines of an object like a face or building

is used as a preparatory outline beneath paint rather than only a contour study

Antonyms

finishing touch
24 3.4

A last small detail that makes something look or feel complete

How Detailed

study
28 5.8
sketch
150 2.5
underdrawing
  • Specialized
8.2

Surface Forms

underdrawing singular
underdrawings plural

Morphology

underdrawing = drawing (transparent) = under + draw + ing

The meaning is directly the drawing that is underneath a painted surface (under + drawing), which is easily inferred by learners.

Etymology

Underdrawing is made of under 'below' and drawing 'a picture made with lines', so it means a drawing 'under' the paint. That's why an underdrawing is the simple sketch artists make beneath a painting to plan the final colours and details.