On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "none" and 10 being "the utmost", how would your rate your confidence to mix whatever color you see?
There's an app called Blendoku that is fun to play with and will show you just how adroit you are at seeing color. You can take the game one step further and attempt to mix the colors you're seeing.
Here's one: What color combination pops into your head for mixing this color?
Could you set up a palette for a complete painting with the combination you selected? Would that palette of colors serve to make a painting of this scene?
TIP: An excellent way to sharpen your color mixing skills is to find a scene whose colors are analogous or monochromatic. Select one block of color from that scene and derive from it a palette of colors with which you can paint the entire scene.
What would I chose for the above challenge? (I know you're asking that...)
I would chose Rembrandt Cadmium Yellow Deep, Rembrandt Transparent Oxide Red, Alizarin Crimson, Gamblin Dioxazine Purple and Titanium White. A second choice (referring to our video lessons, Black for Flowers and Black Going Violet) might be Utrecht Hansa Yellow Light, Alizarin Crimson, Ivory Black and Titanium White. How did I come up with all these colors?
Simple: In the color block, I see oranges and red oranges. That suggests to me a yellow and a red. I know that as orange goes into shadow it becomes cooler and takes on a bit of its complement, blue, therefore neutralizing it. I could have chosen a blue for the palette, but by splitting orange into its two component hues, yellow and red, if I chose a complement of one of those, I have the ability to darken it, cool it and neutralize it. Since I don't see any green (the complement of red), I decide on purple, the complement of yellow. My second choice works the same way because alizarin crimson mixed with ivory black makes a purple. (The idea that black dulls colors is a myth.)
This is a scientific way to come up with a wonderful, diverse palette for painting a scene of analogous colors. Knowing the science gives me freedom to soar with the art.
Happy painting,
Dianne
NEWS & UPDATES
___ Answering many requests, our new Series of video lessons is Reading and Mixing Color. Each lesson takes an individual component of color--value, hue, intensity, temperature--and explores how to see and mix it in depth. Lesson 1,
Reading and Translating Value (of color) is available now.
___ On May 29, we will introduce the FIFTH FRIDAY FEATURE. This, too, is in response to your requests. In these FEATURE video lessons published every fifth Friday, I do a finished painting, beginning to end, featuring the lessons taught in a previous Series. Because of their length, the FEATURE videos will be priced differently from the regular lessons.
___ Are you following our YouTube Quick Tips? If you'd like me to do a video Quick Tip on anything related to painting or composing, email your request HERE .___At our eStore, we keep a collection of free things for you to download. Scroll down to the Video Supplements section and take a look. You will notice that now you can watch the Notan video lesson on the site or on the YouTube channel. You no longer have to download it.___ The Facebook forum membership is now over 900. Join us! One word to Forum users--To keep up with what's going on daily, click on the forum title--Composing and Drawing Tips--in your Groups list on the left of your Facebook page.
