ArtistsNetwork.com 21pops when neutrals surround it, while
a dash of a cool hue stands out among
warm hues. Gray can be subtle or
make a strong statement. h is color
isn’t simple, but we can take advan-
tage of its complexities and evocative
quality to create mood and atmo-
sphere in a painting. Here, I’ll explore
the power of gray and explain my
paint combinations for mixing and
using warm and cool grays.
HOW TO MIX GRAYS
Learning how to work with gray can
breathe more life into our art. But,
to maintain the transparency of
watercolor, we don’t want to add
white to black to make gray. And,
while they’re lovely colors, using
pre-mixed grays such as Payne’s
gray or Davy’s gray can look l at
if they’re overused in a painting.
So, what to do?Intrigued and inspired by
the soft warm glow in this
sky before sunset, I wanted
orange to permeate
Venice Market II (water-
color on paper, 23x17).
I used Winsor orange
with a hint of cobalt blue
to create a warm gray
throughout the painting.In my opinion, gray
looks more interesting
when it’s mixed from
other colors. With
this in mind, it’s
important to choose
paints that mix well.
While the number of
ways of creating beau-
tiful grays is endless,
the easiest may be to
mix the three primary
colors—red, yellow
and blue (see “Shades
of Gray,” opposite).
Another option is
to use a pair of com-
plementary colors
(one primary and one
secondary), such as
blue and orange, red
and green, or yellow
and purple.
h ese are just
a few of the many
combinations that are
possible, but they’re a
good starting place,
especially since most
of us have these
colors readily available
in our palette.Keiko Tanabe
(ktanabei neart.com)
is an award-winning
painter, author and
workshop instructor. She’s a founding
member of North American Watercolor
Artists, a signature member of the
National Watercolor Society, and
a member of the American Watercolor
Society and the American Impressionist
Society, Inc.Turn for a demo