Golden Gingo - Mixing Complements

Been a really busy week, so not much to show, at least on paper, but got lots of ideas bubbling in the old brain.  Spring has sprung here and so has the yard work!!!  So a physical and cerebral week if not putting something on paper.  Latest experiment is to try gold leaf.  Lived all these years and never have done any of it and have a few ideas of how I would like to incorporate it into pictures.  I got a liquid that I thought would  be easier to add into small portions of a painting rather than the paper you have to glue in place. 
Worked on this little ACEO, and am going to give the gingos a try again using different colors and maybe color pencil.  Thought I'd have a couple of ACEOs done for this post, but had to cut grass today as we got rain coming now for 4-5 days - so later this week will post the second effort.

            Tips for Using Compliments in an Underpainting
  • Use a color wheel to find the compliments if needed. Complimentary colors are colors that are direct opposites on the color wheel. They enhance one another when placed next to each other and neutralize each other or make grey when mixed together.
  • Simplify your reference and look at the big masses of color. Choose the opposite color to paint the mass. If you wanted the sky to be lavender, use yellow (the compliment) in the underpainting. If you wanted the cliffs to be golden yellow,  use purples for the underpainting. In your underpainting you can use different values of your color.
  •   Compliments make each other look better...more vibrant and more exciting. When compliments are placed next to one another in a painting, they seem to vibrate. They excite the eye and please us.
  • Compliments provide contrast in a painting which is a good thing. Not only a contrast in color but also in temperature. Colors that are opposite of one another on the color wheel are also opposite in temperature.
  • The trick is learning how to balance this contrast...you want to avoid having equal amounts. One color/temperature should be dominate.
  • When you mix compliments you get grey and sometimes you need these nice grey mixtures. Be careful in pastel that you don't blend compliments or you will get grey muddy color (unless that is what you want) Have a lighter touch and layer the compliments to let the colors peek through and vibrate
  • Didn't get but one response to my question of if you like the tips, so will continue as by adding here it reinforces for me as well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Thanks for stopping by and have a great painting week.




Comments

Nancy Goldman said…
I like your ginkos and the gold leaf is a good idea. I keep meaning to try that on a painting but never get around to it. I can't remember if I responded to your question about the tips or not. I say keep them coming. I love them!
April 30, 2014 at 10:21 AM
Nelvia said…
Have a couple more simple pieces planned and then want to try to incorporate it once I get the feel for color and how to blend it, or not blend it. I enjoy sharing th tips, just don't want to bore anyone. So much we read and forget, always good to get a reminder I think.
April 30, 2014 at 4:51 PM
Alexander said…
wow what a painting. i like this style really a lot. interesting about the underground. but how large is it?
May 1, 2014 at 5:59 AM
Nelvia said…
This is a small card size, 2.5"x3.5". I like doing these on new things because you get a fast result
May 1, 2014 at 8:49 AM
Helen said…
I realize I'm 2 years too late... ha ha... but I like the tips!
H
June 29, 2016 at 5:52 PM
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