Watercolor Artist - USA (2019-02)

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Watercolor Essentials

Going Gray

Harness the power, or embrace

the subtlety, of this versatile hue

by mixing your own versions

using primary colors.

By Keiko Tanabe

v

ibrant colors don’t sing without neutrals. Light doesn’t

shine without darkness. Large shapes only seem large

when placed next to something smaller. Creating a

harmonious relationship of opposites—bright/neutral, light/

dark, positive/negative—in a painting is a balancing act. I try

to underscore the dynamics of dichotomy by using the yin-

yang concept that two opposing components are a whole, with

one complementing the other.

Applying this idea to our color choices helps us create more

harmony and impact in our work. For example, a bright color

It drizzled on and off while I painted Artramon

House, Ireland (watercolor on paper, 14x16) en

plein air. And, it was windy and chilly. The

purple (French ultramarine and alizarin

crimson) and yellow ochre combination, with

the former being more dominant to create the

gray areas, worked well to capture the mood.