Verdaccio is an underpainting technique that sits beneath the layers of many Renaissance artworks. It was used in the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel and oil paintings of the Madonna and Christ. By mixing black, white, and yellow ochre, the artist creates a green monochrome underpainting. Onto this, they glaze layers of flesh tones, allowing the portrait to glow with vibrant colour and translucency.

Melissa has developed her own verdaccio technique, layering a green oil-based underpainting over a swiftly painted acrylic base. In this workshop Melissa will walk you through the historical background of verdaccio in the context of the Italian Renaissance, guiding you through the process of creating the preliminary layers required to make a lifelike portrait.