First logistics to address! So you can anticipate when to check for a new step in our journey, I am going to write a post Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. If I can do more I will.
I have heard from several of you and it makes my heart glad! Thank you! And I will address your questions in posts as I receive them
It is very exciting to know that many of you have invested in the supplies to really try out this medium. For those who have not I encourage you to shop at art supply online shops rather than big ‘box’ stores like Amazon!
So today we are going to talk about warm and cool colors but before launching in to that I have an image of glazing I want to share.
The top grid shows glazing. This is when one color is painted allowed to dry, then another color is painted on top. Using our 3 colors, CB, AY and RMG see how if you paint for example CB first then glaze AY over it looks totally different than if you reverse the order?
A TRUISM – the more tools you have the greater freedom you have to create nuance. I am a believer in, “Nuance is akin to Prayer.”
WARM AND COOL
Color has temperature. Look at the picture. Can you see how AY is cooler a little more greenish than New Gambouge ( a color we have not added yet) which is a tad more orange? Cobalt is a relatively neutral blue where as French Ultramarine ( the next blue we will add to our palette) has a more purpley or reddish cast making it warmer.
Why is seeing the relative temperature of a color important? We have 2 ways to reveal form. One is light and dark another is temperature of the color. I am looking at clouds of the setting sun.
The warm pink is almost the same value as the cool shadow so value helps some to make the cloud look 3d but warm and cool helps. Cool colors tend to recede warm colors come forward. Look for this. Observe every chance you get!
Practicing identifying a color’s warmth or coolness relative to what is around it – for it is all relative to its surroundings just like value- is critical and a fun game to play ( especially when on a long car ride!)
Empirical observation Skills are one of the most important skills you need to develop as an artist. For an artist must be able to do “objective observation then subjective expression”. And good observation skills will help us rectify inaccurate schema. More tools for the tool box!
Several of you have asked about flowers and how to paint them. Spring is coming! 2 things to remember. Many flowers are like a cup or bowl so imagine it as such so shadow side can be rendered to distinguish it from the lit side this will give your painting depth. Other flowers are plates. Run and get a plate!
Hold it up facing you. What flower is it? YES! A sunflower! The center of the plate is the center of the flower! Now pivot the plate so the center is facing at a 90 degree angle from your gaze. How much of the flower do you see? Do 3/4s. Now hold it above your head and angle it down towards you. Can you see the flower? The petals are but random artifacts coming out of the center. IF you can draw a plate at any angle at any height you can paint sunflowers with LOTS OF FEELING!!( we will talk about how to capture animated petals later but see if you can figure it out first! I will send a prize to the artist who does!!!!!)
Here is a poppy lightly sketched with a HB pencil. A poppy is a bowl or cup flower though as it lives the petals will droop like this one. I am going to get the petals wet then let pigment ( a mixture of AY and RMG) mix mostly on the paper. Th e forward petals will be painted more as it dries since they are not back lit thus darker than the back petals. (Try reversing this as well making back darker. )
I am using a round brush and activated pigment. ( have sprayed water mushing my brush around to make sure pigment is juicy!)
It has gotten too dark tonight to try a video! Will do it tomorrow.