Colour mixing and key painting techniques. Impact of background and clothing.
Colour and Colour Mixing
Let’s investigate the mixing of colours in a colour wheel. Using your own colours rather than those any website or book might recommend is where the real value lies. There’s no theory that can replace the experience of how your tubes mix together – it’s a tangible, real-world experience.
Firstly, become comfortable with the basics of the colour wheel. Most art books have something sensible to say about this and a good summary is contained in the first couple of sections on this website: http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory
Secondly, watch the following video clip. The video may be a little rough in places, however it summarizes my approach to colour and mixing:
Exercise
- Now see if you can develop a colour wheel along similar lines – repeat the video, pausing as you go. My approach is to follow a variation of a palette based on 2 versions of each primary, in “warm” and “cool” versions. This aids more predictable colour mixing.
- When you have finished following the video, prove to yourself that you can de-colour each of the primaries by mixing in a little of the complement: what tonal colour does each give?
Skin and Tones
During every term, I used to dread covering skin tones because everyone is looking for guidance and of course there is no such thing as “Skin Colour” and no simple answer. I solved my dilemma recently by talking about skin and tones, in a more open and I trust creative approach to the subject. Take a look at the following video in which I outline an approach that uses a simple, primary-based palette and equally, gives plenty of opportunity to explore aspects of colour in portraits.
Method
My approach to skin and tones is as simple as I can make it, so that I can concentrate on painting rather than all the colours that I “should” be using.
A cool red (Alizarin) and a cool yellow (lemon) mixed with white (titanium) to get colours for mid tones (and lights). Both colours have a little blueness to them …that’s why they are cool. This prevents the tones becoming too “band-aidey”. I use the amount of white to moderate the skin tone itself and with darker tones may add a little blue (but not always).
For shadows, I use the same two colours and add a touch of blue: cerulean for greenish darks and ultramarine for purplish darks. A little white may be added too (but less than before).
Exercise
- Repeat the above process with your colours. You don’t have to have the exact same tones, and in fact that’s where the value is: seeing how your colours combine
- Should you have the time, repeat this exercise on a toned base, similar to the underpainting that we completed in the last lesson. How does the result differ when painting over a toned surface as compared to the white base?
Impact of colour on background and clothes
Colour is relative when layered one over the other and placed side by side. A common mistake in painting is to wait until the last minute to add in some large areas of colour – changing background, clothes or any other potential large colour block. In the following video, I elaborate on this.
Exercise
- Taking your low-tone painting from Lesson 2, or starting afresh and creating a new low- tone painting, block in colour forms for background and clothes in preparation for adding colour and definition to this portrait….in the next lesson!
Wow, there’s a lot to cover with colour – give yourself a well earned pat on the back!