Ground
The prepared surface layer on which a painting, print or dyed pattern is made.
Also: priming, primer
A ground is the first coat applied to canvas, wood or wall before painting. It seals the surface, gives the paint something to grip and sets the base colour. A white ground makes colours bright; many old masters preferred a toned ground of grey, brown or red, which shows through thin paint and unifies the picture. In textiles and wallpaper, ground means the background colour on which a pattern sits, as in flowers on a cream ground.