More Color Tips

These color tips come from the same source as yesterday's ... and that is "I don't know where!"  It is another handout that I have had sticking on my bulletin board for longer than I care to admit.

"High Key" - refers to values in the light range, ie. high light, middle light and low light.  No matter what colors are used the effect will be soft and pastel.  Foreground ~ values 0 to 9, Middle ground ~ values 3 to 5.5, Background ~ values 1 to 3.5


"Middle Key" - refers to values in the middle range.  Foreground- values 1 to 10, Middle ground- values 6 to 9 Background ~ values 5 to 7


"Low Key" ~ refers to dark values... makes the painting feel dark, mysterious and dreary.  Foreground- values 1-10, Middle ground - values 6-8, Background- values 7 to 9

• Mix Burnt Umber with New Gamboge to make a good value 10 "yellow".
• Mixed grays can be especially useful when you are trying to achieve a warm or cool color dominance in a painting.  If you are using a predominately warm color scheme, you should also use warm grays.  In a predominately cool color scheme, use cool grays.
• Alizarin Crimson, Phthalo Green and Burnt Sienna is a nice mixed gray.  (Don't use this to gray a color
• To intensify warm colors, try tempering them with a little Carmine or Opera Pink.

My Mom has been ill and we had to put her in the hospital today... so my painting time today was not to be.  I did find a small amount of time to paint yesterday, so here is the progress on the painting... such as it is.

Soooooooo much work to be done yet....

Be Still My Art,

Kay

A Few Tidbits on Color and my WIP

These are just a few tidbits on color that you may already know... hope you don't mind a short reminder.

   If you want a color to look:                 Paint next to it:

• More intense                                   Its complement
• Less intense                                    A more-intense version of the same or a near-hue

                                                                          (Its neighbor on the color wheel)

• Darker                                            A lighter value
• Lighter                                            A darker value
• Cooler                                            A warmer color
• Warmer                                          A cooler color

A color that is surrounded by black or a dark value will appear lighter, brighter and larger than it actually is.
A color surrounded by white or a light value will appear darker, duller and smaller than it actually is.

More to come on color at a later time...

I worked on "Daydreamer" today and it seemed that the more I painted on it the more that needed to be done.  Ever get to that point in a painting where you just really have to push yourself to "just put paint on the paper" and not get caught up in all the little details that will come later?  I could have spent all day on just one little section, but I like to paint the entire painting and hold off on the details until last.

Doesn't look like a lot of progress... but any time you are moving forward it is a "good thing", right?

Be Still My Art

Kay