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Color charts
Allan,
I've started creating color charts like the one I attached below to help me get the color and value of paint on the canvas to match the color and value of that which I'm trying to paint and also to get me to be more creative with my color choices.
I have a small book on color mixing that I used to use as a reference, but it was of limited help because the colors didn't exactly match those of my oil paints.
To create my own: I mix as many different combinations of two colors as I think are useful (six in the sample below, but often just two or three) and then tint with two different amounts of another paint (white in this case, but I've also done this using yellows and blues to get greys and neutrals).
Rather than do new color charts for each painting I've decided to build up a library of color charts as I go along. As I design a painting I make a note of the colors I'm going to use and the position on the color chart using a grid reference (yes, I know it's really nerdy).
I've used Art Spectrum Colorfix which is an acrylic primed pastel paper that accepts oil paint as I had a bunch of the stuff lying around. I cut a 22"x28" sheet into three pieces as it's easier to handle that way. I decided against using mylar as I wasn't sure the paint would stick to it for any length of time.
While I'm painting I hang them up near to my easel so that I can refer to them as needed and as I mix paint I put a bit on my palette knife and reach over to compare.
Hope that helps.
Simon
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