shitanuri 下塗り

Also called *jinuri 地塗り. A base coat. An undercoat applied during the process of producing a Japanese painting. This application helps the pigments to adhere to the painting surface and adds luster to the final color. Sometimes a base coat with a color different from the final color is used to give a unique quality to the finished product. Other variations, such as vermillion under gold-leaf or shell-white *gofun 胡粉 or mica under ink or pigment are also termed shitanuri or jinuri.