The South African Artist – July 2019

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It is very important to note that once your chosen palette of colours is
set on the wheel, you must stick to it. You will be tempted to include
more colours. Don’t. By more colours I mean the primaries required to
mix the colours in your palette. (Images 7 & 8 below).

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These images show the colours mixed before I started and the

colours used in the end. By using primaries that were outside of my

observed palette, I could get the three colours that formed the basis

of my palette. The only colours in my box were: Cad Yellow Medium,

Viridian, Light Oxide Red and Titanium White (on the left side of the

image). I then had to mix the colours that were included in my fence,

using these primaries. The mixed colours found inside the fenced

area are referred to as my palette. My palette for this painting had to

include a yellow green, an orange and a deep crimson. I mixed Cad

Yellow Medium and Viridian to get a yellow green and the Cad Yellow

Medium and Light Oxide Red to make the orange. The deep crimson

was trickier: I mixed the Viridian with the Light Oxide Red, but kept the

mix on the red side. Mixing the Red Oxide and Viridian to get a neutral

greyish colour to represent the grey blue found in the reference, also

took a bit of effort. It helps in the beginning stages to choose primary

colours that are included in your fence. (Images 9, 10, 11 & 12 below).

The sequence of images show the progression of this painting. The

first was a basic colour layout for testing how the colours would work

together without drawing it out first. I liked it and decided to go with

it. This layer of colour dried within 3 days. Next I drew on the panel

using a white school board chalk, to more clearly establish where

everything would fit. The chalk dusts off easily and does not affect

the outcome or colours used when overpainting. Having put down

most of the colours in a loosely painted way, I proceeded to tidy up

the painting to a finished state. If you are not wanting to represent the

colours you see in your reference, use a black and white reference

and choose your own palette. Be brave and stick to your fence. You

can always make another masterpiece using a different palette if

you feel like it. A word of caution - changing a palette halfway into a

painting will surely spoil your efforts in the understanding of colour,

not to mention the painting.

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