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I am obsessed with colour. My children hate general conversation with me when colour comes up. Recently I was trying to describe which type of coffee I wanted by the colour of its pod. I was having great difficulty describing the deep coral, no, the dark orangey crimson, when my daughter said “Do you mean this red one?”. I’d never thought of it as red! (Each time I make one of those coffees since then I always think to myself, “Huh, red!”)
My interest in colour naturally extends to an interest in colour theory. I have been know to describe a particular colour theory book as “a good read” to my friends. I paint a lot of colour wheels. Whenever I get any new-to-me paints I paint another one. Or two.
Feeling inspired by Wendy Sharpe and my interview with her, I broke out my gouache again. Gouache and I have had a checkered history with not every encounter going well. I find the way it goes so easily from sticky smooth (which is strange in itself!) to watery runny concerns me. I hate the way its texture goes when I put on too many layers, making it too thick. I always feel compelled to keep working at it then to see if I can make it smoother or at least look better, which of course is a disastrous thing to do.
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I bought these gouache in Paris a few years ago now. I have used them, but not much. Sitting with them in front of me on my work table I felt I didn’t know them at all. Consequently my confidence just wasn’t there. So it was time for a colour wheel to reacquaint me with them. Once I’d done that, I was right!
The colour theory book I mentioned before is the Michael Wilcox Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green
A limited palette has lots of benefits like being cheaper and easier to transport and a lot less confusing (well, I think it is). But a limited pallete is only good when the colours work together! My palette has warm and cool in red, blue and yellow, as well as white, Paynes grey, raw umber, burnt sienna and black. But not all pigments mix well with each other!
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When I first tried out the Wilcox colour theory I was using Napthol Scarlet and Napthol Crimson as well as Pthalo blue along with my other colours. In art school we had even learned about using 6 primaries and these paints were in the colours the teacher recommended. But once I painted a couple of colour wheels, and still couldn’t get purples, nice browns or clear greens I realised it was these colours that were causing my problems, not my colour mixing abilities. My search for good colours that mix well began and from that moment on my painting ‘ability’ improved out of sight!
What colours are always on your palette? And what is your favourite colour theory? Or don’t you care and just paint away! Please share!
Top image: On a recent trip to Sydney I went shopping in Myer (as usual!) and this time I succumbed to The Brow Bar. Wow, the girls working there have the most wonderful eyebrows I’ve ever seen! It was the least painful and best brow wax I’ve ever had. I’m definitely going back! (Gouache on black gesso, Stonehenge paper in self made journal.)
Bottom image: Part of why we love living where we do is that we are walking distance from, well, yes… the beach, but more importantly a great strip of restaurants! Our favourite is Fiasco and we like to sit in the bar for a drink before we go in for our meal. It makes us feel like we live somewhere far more cosmopolitan! (Gouache on black gesso, Stonehenge paper in self made journal.)
7 comments
Suhita Shirodkar says:
Nov 18, 2011
While I like reading about color theory, I find that if I “think” too much about my colors, my work is less spontaneous. So I mostly just wing it. However, I totally see how you can end up with muddy colors that surprise you. One of the first things that surprised me when I started working with watercolors is how often I got “mud” – mostly because i was going by the theory that yellows and reds were warm, and blues and greens were cool, but i didn’t realize there could be cool reds and warm blues and mixing them together would never give me a nice bright purple!
Vicky Williamson says:
Nov 18, 2011
I also found the Wilcox book “a good read” — so much learned! I usually make gridded color charts rather than color wheels, but maybe I’ll try some wheels next time.
I now gravitate to single-pigment colors only, though not necessarily the ones Michael chooses. For example, I much prefer the lively granulation of quin. burnt orange to burnt sienna. And lately
I prefer cobalt blue deep to ultramarine, a blue I never thought I could do without. My “core palette” consists of more cool colors than warm.
Color is Fascinating!
Amie Roman says:
Nov 19, 2011
Wilcox book changed my brain’s “eyes” for colour and I’ve really loved thinking about it ever since. Do you have any other good colour theory books you’d recommend as a “must read”?
I find that with my printmaking, I particularly like to do reductions, where colours sit on top of each other and play through each other. Depending on the opacity of the inks, or the amount of transparent medium used, I can even get some glazing effects happening, which is much more interesting, in my mind, than palette mixed colours.
While not really part of the basic primaries, I find I must include burnt sienna, phthalo blue, and cadmium red in my working palette, and in watercolour I adore Prussian blue. Unfortunately, because I can’t use oil inks and am restricted to very few brands of water-clean up inks (mostly because I can’t stand the smell even of many water-clean up inks), I have a very limited palette to choose from with my printmaking. Well, we make do with what we’ve got, right? But wouldn’t it be fun to have access to every colour just to play with?!
Jan Allsopp says:
Nov 19, 2011
Great comments ladies! I wondered how many people had been influenced by Wilcox so this is really interesting. I’m interested to try some of the colours you mention; some I’m familiar with in acrylic Colours available in gouache are limited!
Suhita I know what you mean about not thinking about colour theory while painting. This is the main reason I paint the wheels. The colours become memory and experience. Then the painting can happen, as you say, spontaneously.
Vicky I am racing off to buy quin burnt orange! The name has me if nothing else and your description is seductive. Can’t wait to try it!
Amy I’m not sure about what colour book to recommend. I’ll have a look when I get home (I’m in Sydney to see the Picasso exhibition at the moment). What I do find when I print is that I don’t have a ‘printer’s brain’ and struggle to think in reductions and about overlaying colours. Conversely, I don’t ‘think’ at all about paint in that way. It just happens. So my colour theory interest may not dovetail with yours!
clare hansford says:
Mar 1, 2012
Hi Jan,
Clare Hansford here.
We did the molyX25 exchange a few years back. I find your Sketching Success Manual is a valuable tool to refer to!
I have recently followed in your footsteps and started OUA at Curtin Uni. I have just completed VSW100 & I LOVED every moment of it.
I am off to Europe in May and was hoping you could point me in the direction of good art stores in Paris??
Thanks for your inspiration.
Warm Regards,
Clare.
Jan Allsopp says:
Mar 1, 2012
Hi Clare! So lovely to hear your news. In Paris go directly to Senelier on Rue Quai Voltaire (on the opp side of the Seine to the Lourve). It’s where Picasso shopped and it is a slice of art supply heaven! I don’t know what 3/4 of the stuff they sell is for but I love looking. Their brand of supplies is first class. I bought a small travel tin of their watercolours and I love it! All a bit pricey but a nice treat.
The 2nd place to go is BHG (bizarre hotel de ville) one of the larger department stores. It’s in the Maraise near Hotel de Ville (town hall). It was my favorite dept store (you must see the lighting dept to believe it!) they have an entire floor for stationery and art supplies complete with artists demonstrating something or other, Pitt brush pens when I was last there. They have a bigger price range than Senelier. Some Senellier stuff is available there for less, but there is less choice of it.
Let me know if you want to buy a pen while you are there and I’ll look up the best place we found.
How long are you going for? I’m envious! Great news on your Uni. I’m on extended break as my mum is older and I need the time.
clare hansford says:
Mar 1, 2012
Hi Jan,
Thanks so much for your speedy reply!
I will definitely check out both places.
I will be in London four days, Paris only seven days, back to England and Scotland for six weeks.
I have family in England.
Out of curiosity, and only if you want to answer, how much spending money/not accommodation, would
you suggest is a reasonable amount for food and buying goodies? I am asking everyone I know who
has travelled to Europe so I can get an idea. I will take a cr card just in case.
My daughter bought me a Lamy fountain pen for Christmas and I think I would be in strife with the
boss man if I introduce more pens into the house, haha.
I will stay in touch if this is ok with you.
My warmest wishes & Thank you,
Clare.