L'Hermitage Poster - What's on your pallette - Please let me know



 
One of the intentions of doing this picture was to work on color mixing and use a limited palette working on values, gray tones, contrasts, using complements and warm shades against cool ones.
 
But first of all, isn't it just fun and full of anticipation as a picture develops, how it takes on a life of it's own.  The way this is coming together is to paint shapes because of so much cutting in and angularity of the design. I think it is a good thing to do, draw/paint in shapes, and then when you step back it is a pleasant surprise to fine an image is indeed coming out.  Kind of like magic.
 
OK, back to colors .... IF YOU STOP BY FOR A LOOK, CAN YOU LEAVE ME A LIST OF THE COLORS THAT YOU USE ON YOUR PALETTE?    I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OTHER IDEAS OR DETERMINE COMMON COLORS EVERYONE IS USING.  No, I won't ask to see your color charts.
 
As I mentioned I am studying a book, Color Harmony by Margaret Kessler.  I have it for 3 more weeks, from the library, but am thinking the back section (mastering the contrasts of color, how light and atmosphere affect color and designing with color) is worthy of going to Amazon and adding it to my art book library.  I have several books on color (not that I have read them all  :(  ), but this book presents it more simply - seems to speak to me - with demos from photos to painted pictures full of color and value.  You can clearly see that aha moment.
 
For this poster I am using primarily 6 colors, these are all acrylics:
                 Grumbacher Red - warm (Grumbacher Academy)
                  Alizarin Crimsion - cool (Liquitex)
                 Cad Yellow Medium - warm  this has been a big work horse in my mixes thus far        (Grumbacher Academy)
                 Cad Yellow Light - cool (instead of lemon yellow)  (Liquitex)
                 Ultramarine Blue - cool  this has been a big work horse in my mixes thus far (Grumbacher Academy)
                 Cerulen Blue - warm (Rembrandt)
                 Black, White - (Liquitex gesso - this is a Jerry Yarnell thing)
                 Burnt Sienna - (Grumbacher Academy)
Yes, I snuck the last two on - but I am tempering the black with the Grumbacher Red so it isn't flat - since I am painting over the border so many times I will, at the end of the picture, go over the black section again so I don't show any color differences between the black mixes (believe it or  not it does show up).
 
Inadvertently I am learning which of these colors is way transparent and has to have a layer mixed with white to paint over and cover my black mistakes, then another layer of color on top to get the color I need for the finished painting.
 
I also know that the same named color varies in actual shade from brand to brand.  I also have some that would considered student quality (could that be my problems?) versus professional.  But at the rate I am using them, and yes this time I am actually putting a lot, for me, of paint on the paper, I will need to make some decisions of brand/quality for replacements.  Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Thanks for stopping by and have a great painting week.


Comments

Log Cabin Studio said…
I use a very simular palette except no black ,I use paynes gray,raw umber and a raw sienna.I really like heavy body liquitex.Happy painting!!!
Caroline
March 9, 2014 at 11:05 PM
hmuxo said…
Since I work with pastels, I can't help...but I will be enjoy seeing this in progress!!!
March 10, 2014 at 9:47 PM
Nancy Goldman said…
I use a similar palette but in addition, two of my favorite colors are quinacridone gold and perylene maroon. These two colors along with ultramarine blue make a beautiful triad.
March 11, 2014 at 10:53 AM
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