Dancers - More Color Mixing Tips

April 17, 2014

Don't you just love when you are organizing (sounds good doesn't it), well actually I was just getting out my last sheet of Bristol paper and found this graphite drawing I did from 2002. I remembered it immediately, like meeting an old friend, and today I am just as taken with the action and grace of these ballerinas and the implication of movement is what draws me to this image. Guess as a kid I always wanted to dance but lacked one thing, coordination. But still appreciate those who can and do this art. Will have to see if I can locate the reference photo and would love to try this again, probably in pastel. But for now, this will have to go into my archival drawing box to be found and looked at again another day.

MORE PAINT MIXING REMINDERS

1) Get to know the properties of different whites. Every tube has it's own characteristics and affects colors. Titanium is opaque and bluish Zinc white is transparent and colorless, but becomes brittle with age Titanium-Zinc white is not too brittle, and the mixture gives your color a pearly luster that enhances your tints

2) Different commercial brands for colors of the same name may be slightly different hues

3) Don't hesitate to exaggerate the colors you see in nature to enhance the mood of your painting and to make it more aesthetically pleasing. It's best to begin your painting with colors that are exaggerated to the warm side. Remember, it's easier to cool a warm color than to warm a cool color. If you try to warm up cool colors you are more likely to get dully, muddy hues.

4) Avoid chalky colors by re-energizing your tints. If using white to create tints you may have to rework some of the naturally dark colors that require a lot of white to lighten them. Add a little Lemon Yellow to re-energize your tints of yellow-orange, orange and warm reds. A pale tint of Phthalo Blue can use a tad of Lemon Yellow too. A touch of Lemon or Cadmium Yellow Medium can re-warm your light-green tints. Similarly, adding some touches of quinacridone Red can bring pale hues of Ultramarine Blue or violet back to life.