Color plunge!

Denise Hall · 06-20-2002, 10:53 PM

Hi!

Much can be learned from reading and studying and I am always buying and checking out new books about virtually everything about artists/history/technique. I refer to all my magazines (especially International Artist) and a backlog of American Artist magazines daily as I paint. Many times I can find a color scheme within a famous work of art by a favorite painter, such as Edward Burnes-Jones or Rossetti (wonderful Pre-Raphaelites) or any of the Italian or Dutch Renaissance artists to emulate either vaguely or closely.

One of the best ways to get your colors right is a preliminary color swatch study on a sheet of drawing or pastel paper. Sometimes I use bristol board or illustration board. Of course, I keep all my studies for reference (ha).

I may choose 3 or 4 colors (known as a limited palette) usually 2 complementary and then another neutral one and put 4 or 5 loosely painted squares side by side in a row leaving a space between as well as above and below. I then overlay with the other colors (one over each square halfway (half red/half green for example). Push the combination with white added and try to create as many values of the combination as you can. This should be a progression of little stripes (or as big as you choose to make them!) of color from darkest to lightest.

Do this until you have exhausted all possibilities with the 3 or 4 colors and you will see all your choices that you can make for the painting. In so doing - you have created a congruent scheme which you can either premix to paint with - or mix as you go.

I don't always do this but have found it to be most helpful if I just want to try something new (like cobalt blue, pthalo green, alizarin crimson and raw sienna) or find just the right combination that "pops" with complementary color.

Two favorite books of mine on color are definitely "Making Color Sing", by Jean Dobie and "Color Choices", Steven Quiller. In college, we studied Joseph Albers.

Remember, paint and paint every day -- even if you only have an hour!! Good luck!