The Artist - UK (2020-05)

http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistMay 2020 55

PRACTICAL

STILL LIFE 2
I always had a very strong aversion to painting
daffodils until I was commissioned to paint
them a few years ago. I could have said no but
decided to challenge myself and tackle the
difficult perspective of a daffodil. This commission
helped me to get to know this flower that I love
to see on the roadside and in the garden. As
with many challenges, once I got going, I really
enjoyed it. This experience inspired me to include
some daffodils in the spring still-life paintings. I
approached this by thinking very carefully about
the composition first. Then I decided to use a
complementary palette and make a more dramatic
colour combination than in Still Life 1.

New gamboge

• lemon
  yellow –
  more new
  gamboge,
  medium tone

Lemon

yellow + new

gamboge –

more lemon

yellow,

medium tone

Burnt sienna +

new gamboge

• more burnt
  sienna,
  medium tone

French

ultramarine +

lemon yellow

• more French
  ultramarine,
  medium/pale tone

Lemon yellow

+ French

ultramarine –

more lemon

yellow, pale

tone

Dioxazine

+ burnt

sienna +

French

ultramarine

• light tone

Dioxazine +

burnt sienna

+ French

ultramarine

• more burnt
  sienna, dark
  tone

Dioxazine +

burnt sienna

+ French

ultramarine

• equal parts,
  dark tone

Dioxazine +

burnt sienna

+ French

ultramarine

• equal parts,
  very dark tone

French ultramarine + burnt

sienna – 50/50, medium, pale

and very pale

French ultramarine + burnt sienna

• more French ultramarine – pale
  and medium

Mixes A

Mixes B

Colours used

STILL LIFE 3

I used only two colours – aureolin and French ultramarine –

for this painting. Every colour in the painting was made by

mixing these two colours together in various combinations

and tones. I used some of my vases and garden flowers to

work from and have simplified the composition. This is an

analogous colour scheme, where the colours are a set of

three or five that are next to each other on the colour wheel.

The analogous scheme creates very harmonious paintings;

using an analogous scheme or a limited palette of two

colours gives a very good opportunity to learn a lot about

how these colours work together.

French

ultramarine

Some mixes made with these two colours

Aureolin

Colours used

There are a few examples of mixes of aureolin and French

ultramarine here and I encourage you to spend plenty of time

experimenting to find how many colours you can create from

a limited palette of two.

French

ultramarine

Burnt

sienna

New

gamboge

Lemon

yellow

Dioxazine