2007-08-22 19:15:31 · 2 answers · asked by marietta 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Drawing & Illustration
The term originated as a name for a type of Renaissance drawing on coloured paper, where the artist worked from this base tone towards light, with white gouache, and dark, with ink, bodycolour or watercolour. These in turn drew on traditions in illuminated manuscripts, going back to late Roman Imperial manuscripts on purple-dyed vellum. Chiaroscuro woodcuts began as imitations of this technique. When discussing Italian art, the term is sometimes used to mean painted images in monochrome or two colours, more generally known in English by the French equivalent, grisaille. The term early broadened in meaning to cover all strong contrasts in illumination between light and dark areas in art, which is now the primary meaning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiaroscuro
2007-08-22 19:26:31 · answer #1 · answered by guess who at large 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A way of painting that emphasizes the difference between light and shadow. Rembrandt was an expert at it. Pax- C
2007-08-22 19:21:18 · answer #2 · answered by Persiphone_Hellecat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋