To Tone or Not To Tone?

That is the question. Toning the canvas is something I got in a habit of doing for the majority of my paintings. Painting on a canvas that has not been toned could result in having to touch up those nasty little white specks of canvas peeking throw your finished art. What a waste of time having to touch up those areas and don't forget to match the touch up paint with the paint on the canvas. Now don't get me wrong, toning the canvas does not mean there aren't any specks peeping through. It's just that they won't be as noticeable if they are of a neutral color.

Some painters will tone their canvas in colors that best works with their pallet. These tones can be warm as in warm grey, sienna or yellowish tint or they can be on the cooler side like a blueish, green or violet color. Unless I want my colors to be bright and pop out for a particular type of subject, I usually use an earth tone on the sienna side on all my canvases. I mix in about equal parts of burnt sienna, raw umber, and yellow oxide.

After I get my mixed paint for toning, I apply the paint on my canvas with a 2" paint brush from the hardware store. After I apply the paint mix to the canvas, I go back and wipe it down with a cotton rag leaving a nice warm brown tone. Most of the time when I am toning a canvas I tone as many canvases as I can with the mix I made in order not to waste paint. I always use acrylic paints to tone my canvas mainly because I paint in acrylics. If you paint in oils it is a good idea to use acrylics for the tone because the acrylics dry real fast and you are ready to paint in no time.

Looks like someone needs a haircut.

Always a good idea to have extras.

Some of the advantages of toning a canvas are.

1. You don't have to touch up those pesky little white specks after your painting session.

2. You are not staring at a bright white canvas reflecting light in your eyes, especially if you are painting outdoors.

3. The paint applied to the tone canvas are closer to a true reading of the color you are laying down.

If you do not tone your canvas, a good practice is to lay the paint on thick. This will help alleviate the need for touch up in the end. So, back to the question, to tone or not to tone? This is a matter of preference. And what works for others may not necessarily work for you. It's just a matter of finding that which does work in your situation and through experimentation one can find that formula that best fits their needs. Now let's paint!