aliväri

Aliväri is a Finnish term referring to an undercolor layer used in painting to establish tonal structure before adding the final colors. The word combines ali (under) and väri (color). It is most commonly used in oil painting, but the concept appears in tempera and acrylic practice as well.

The aliväri is typically applied as a thinned wash or glaze that maps light and shadow, shapes, and the overall composition. It may be executed as a grayscale underpainting (grisaille) or in a limited color palette, often with earth tones or a chosen bias to influence the hue relationships of subsequent layers. After the aliväri dries, painters build up color and texture through successive layers, allowing the underlying tonal map to guide luminosity and cohesion in the finished work.

Historically, underpainting techniques, including aliväri, were common among Old Masters to create depth and unity. In Finnish art education, students are often instructed to plan a painting with an aliväri as an initial step. In contemporary practice, some artists employ a strong aliväri to shape values and color relationships, while others favor direct application of final colors and treat the undercolor as a planning stage rather than a defining feature.