MONOCHROME
drawing or painting in a completely different way.
Spending time working in black and white will almost
definitely improve your practice. I found that my ability to
work with colour improved significantly as result. My
understanding of the effect of one colour next or near to
another was improved. It allowed me to paint grass as an
ochre or an umber instead of green, without throwing the
whole painting into a confused mess – the colours were
tonally similar, so it worked.
My focus was no longer on describing a scene through
my use of colour, but rather through form, tone and mark
making. I was now actively thinking about and improving
other areas of my work that I had previously taken for
granted or just simply ignored.
Art is a constant process of learning and unlearning and
no matter how good you are it really is important to break
things up a little and experiment. Not only is this kind of
experimentation where improvement and new direction
in your art comes from, it is also just really fun to try
something different once in a while.
Here are six reasons why working in black and white
could be incredibly beneficial for you too.
- ERRORS ARE HIGHLIGHTED
When working in monochrome, it is far easier to spot errors
- the contrast is increased so any issues with shape, form
or perspective really do jump out at you. If you’re working
with something like willow charcoal, it is very
straightforward to make corrections. You can use a rubber
to remove or lighten marks, smudge or blend them, or even
just draw lines over each other to alter the form.
Regular practice working in black and white will not only
serve to improve your drawing skills but also prevent those
errors occurring as often in future.
- SUBTLE TONES BECOME CLEARER
Another plus point is that areas are highlighted in which
a subtler transition between light and dark is required.
Working in black and white without doubt improves your
ability to play with tone and develop subtlety and control.
With practice, you’ll find your eye will pick out the darkest
and lightest areas more quickly and you’ll know
immediately which bits need adjustment. You’ll also notice
the sheer variety of blacks – some warmer, some cooler
- which is one of those subtle differences that can easily
be lost when working in full colour.
- COLOUR IS A DISTRACTION
Colour can confuse or even destroy a composition.
While I am generally not a fan of fuchsia pinks and lime
greens being on the same canvas in my own work, I am not
“anti-colour” now and I certainly appreciate the ability of
other artists to be able to work with these colours in a way
that enhances a composition rather than distracting from it.
Having said that, colour doesn’t need to be neon in order
to be distracting. Even with a limited palette there are so
many potential colours you could make and use. Sometimes
the distraction is just in being spoilt for choice, let alone
selecting colours that work well together. You may find that
you want to limit your palette further when you return to
using colour after working in black and white.